Mike asks:
During an online game session I used single quotes in the following manner:
"Where can I find 'Saarkod'?"
(Saarkod being the name of a fictional character in the game.) I thought it warranted quotes because it is an esoteric or non-standard term and should be noted that it was part of a non-standard vocabulary. Another player told me that it was misuse of quotes and that,
"Where can I find Saarkod?"
was the acceptable form of the question. I used quotes to indicate that from reading the word 'Saarkod' you would not immediately be aware of its definition. Much in the way that if I had been told to travel to the Eiffel Tower and I did not know what or where the Eiffel Tower was, I would say, "Where can I find the 'Eiffel Tower'?"
The other player told me that it would be acceptable to say, "Where can I find the man they call 'Saarkod'?" but isn't that just a needlessly lengthy rewording of my initial statement?
Am I wrong to use single quotes in the manner I described?
In some ways, the answer depends on where you live and which style manual you follow.
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