Explain?
In the US, it's grammatically proper to put the close-quotes outside the punctuation at the end of a sentence, whether or not the quoted sentence is appropriate with that punctuation.
example: Have you seen "Baby Got Back?"
96% of the time, it's clear what is meant, and it doesn't look too silly, or else people use itals or bolding or underlining instead of quotes. A book titled "Against All Odds?" falls into the funny 4% of the time.
(The Brits would have said, Have you seen "Baby Got Back"? -- which eliminates the ambiguity of whose question mark that is.)
it's grammatically proper to put the close-quotes outside the punctuation at the end of a sentence, whether or not the quoted sentence is appropriate with that punctuation
I had no idea that this was a geographic thing. I do either, depending on the punctuation mark. Commas and periods can go inside, question marks and exclamation points never.
You are a United Nations of grammar, you are. I think the academy is coming around to yoru practical approach (I mean, it does make sense), but clearly, Chuck Norris just roundhouse kicks the academy in the face on this issue.
I thought (at least, my high school English teacher told me) that that grammar rule applied only to periods. Using that, i myself would personally write both of the following:
- I have heard "Baby Got Back."
- Have you heard "Baby Got Back"?
Nice to know I'm wrong, I guess, but I'm sticking with it.
I understood that rule to be voluntary, so I don't always follow it. Can't find the cite, though.
You know, I wasn't planning on seeing "Something New", which seemed a fairly stereotypical romance with a racial angle thrown in, but then there was the trailer in the theater yesterday (I was watching The New World) and OMG SIMON BAKER IS HOT LIKE A GOD. OK, Sanaa Lathan is no slouch in the looks department either, but being a heterosexual woman, my eyes just gravitated to his form like whoa. And touseled blondes are not even my usual cup of tea! But Simon Baker in this flick looks like... I don't know, Matthew McConnaughey without the sleaze or Scott Speedman with a glimmer of intelligence. And he was all artfully dirt-smudged and rumpled, with a lovely smile and a dog! I can't resist a combination like that.
Plus, it didn't help that I already had sort of a crush on that guy from that legal drama from a couple of years ago... The Guardian, I believe it was called. *And* he's one of those hot Australian men who are happily married (to Rebecca Riggs, who played Grayza on Farscape) with multiple kids and well-adjusted to boot, like Hugh Jackman. Sigh.
I may have to go watch this one in the theater.
The first five cites I found do it my way. Which is just and proper.
Mmmm, the Guardian. Angst, hot Australians, and thousand-dollar suits. What's not to love?
This
Something New
seems to be charming the pants offa everyone who sees it. Manohla Dargis liked it a lot, and I do not think of her as a liker of romantic comedy.
Manohla Dargis is relatively new to NYT, right? I like her reviews. They are a bit on the frothier side than those of the rest of the NYT critics, which is a nice change of pace. I was reading her review of The New World yesterday, and she cracked me up at the end in the warning section with this blurb: '"The New World" is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). There is some intense, bloodless violence and the beautiful underage lead actress may cause cardiac arrest among some viewers.'
She was at the LA Times previously. I'm about 50-50 on her reviews, myself.
