GalacticCactus Forum

Forums => English & Linguistics => Topic started by: Brinestone on December 06, 2004, 02:39:11 PM

Title: Quick, stupid question
Post by: Brinestone on December 06, 2004, 02:39:11 PM
Imagine for a minute that there is a composer named John Cage, and he likes to compose abstract music. For instance, he composes a piece entitled 4'33" (four minutes 33 seconds), which is just that length of time—silent—as a pianist sits on a piano bench before leaving the stage.

How would one punctuate the name of the song? I did nothing in the example because I think it looks weird to have two sets of end quotation marks, but I technically shouldn't italicize it. Is "4'33"" really right?
 
Title: Quick, stupid question
Post by: Jonathon the Dragonator on December 06, 2004, 02:47:28 PM
The sign for minute is a double prime—not a straight or a curly quote, but a straight, slightly angled symbol. Let's see if it'll post correctly:

“4?33?”
Title: Quick, stupid question
Post by: Brinestone on December 06, 2004, 02:53:58 PM
*swoons*
Title: Quick, stupid question
Post by: Icarus on December 06, 2004, 04:20:57 PM
Ooh!

Where can I download that song?