🚀 go-pugleaf

From out of nowhere, Ian G Batten <I.G.Batten@batten.eu.org> gave these
words to the world...

[snip]
>``Delays on M46 J4 to J6'' (sic) 
[snip]

This has always intrigued me - where does the phrase "sic" come from,
and what does it *really* mean?  I know it's about the quotation being
erroneous, but accurately quoted, but where is it really from?
-- 
Ian.
My e-mail address is not real.  You are imagining it.  You are dreaming
of ian, found at jelibeli, followed by a dot, then demon, then something
about yukky cows.

In article <gG743RA+9$F1EwRw@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian Coombs-Lewis
<ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>where does the phrase "sic" come from

According to my Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors [1], it's
Latin, meaning "thus, so". How this equates to its use as a menas of
indicating the 'editor's' doubting of the validity of a term or
statement, I couldn't say. Bruce?

[1] I've waited years to say that ;-)
-- 
Andy Mabbett, Development Manager, Birmingham ASSIST  
Birmingham City Council        -    www.birmingham.gov.uk
Phone:  (+) 44 121 303 3640    -    Fax: (+) 44 121 212 1930
Post:   3rd Floor, Central Library, Birmingham B3 3HQ

>>>>> "Andy" == Andy Mabbett <amabbett@bham-assist.demon.co.uk> writes:

 Andy> In article <gG743RA+9$F1EwRw@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian
 Andy> Coombs-Lewis <ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
 >> where does the phrase "sic" come from

 Andy> According to my Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors [1],
 Andy> it's Latin, meaning "thus, so". How this equates to its use as
 Andy> a menas of indicating the 'editor's' doubting of the validity
 Andy> of a term or statement, I couldn't say. Bruce?

The point is that you are confirming the quotation is accurate and
that the error was not introduced in transcription. Viewed in this
light the usage and latin meaning (which I was unaware of) make
perfect sense: the quotation is just _so_.
 

On Tue, 24 Mar 1998 20:36:54 +0000, Andy Mabbett
<amabbett@bham-assist.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>In article <gG743RA+9$F1EwRw@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian Coombs-Lewis
><ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>>where does the phrase "sic" come from
>
>According to my Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors [1], it's
>Latin, meaning "thus, so".

FWIW, another bit of Latin that printers and editors like to bandy
about is "stet", meaning "let it stand", or more loosely, "er, you
know that bit I just crossed out because I wanted you to print
something different? well, don't bother, because I now realise it was
right the first time". As you can tell, "stet" is short, sweet and
takes up far less room on the page.
-- 
Neil Worthington, Doncaster, UK.
======================================
Otto the Octopus invites *you* to visit
the Excellent Eighth "Sunny Donny" Beerex:
16-19 April at the Racecourse Exhibition Centre.
http://members.aol.com:/donnycamra/beerex2.htm

From out of nowhere, Ian G Batten <I.G.Batten@batten.eu.org> gave these
words to the world...
>Amusing scenario on the M42 this morning about 0920.  The traffic was
>slow from 3 (A425) to 5 (A41), and then down to a walking pace for a
>while towards 6 (A45).  It turned out that everyone was slowing right
>down to read the big sign with flashing lights over the carriageway
>about 2 miles short of 6 --- ``Delays on M46 J4 to J6'' (sic) --- and
>then returning to a normal speed, so downstream from the sign everything
>was fine.  This effect is often quite pronounced, but I've never seen it
>quite so bad.  Where the hell is the M46?

Today, I actually saw people pulling off the motorway (M42 near M40),
because the signs said "No Phones Await Police".  This was also causing
some congestion, not surprisingly.  Why not "No Brains Await English
Lessons" or something?  Even "No Emergency Phones - Breakdowns Await
Police" (I think it would fit - there are three lines on the displays)
would have been better, and less confusing to the mentally challenged
who misunderstood the first message.
-- 
Ian.
My e-mail address is not real.  You are imagining it.  You are dreaming
of ian, found at jelibeli, followed by a dot, then demon, then something
about yukky cows.

In article <gG743RA+9$F1EwRw@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian Coombs-Lewis
<ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>[snip]
>>``Delays on M46 J4 to J6'' (sic) 
>[snip]
>
>This has always intrigued me - where does the phrase "sic" come from,
It is Latin for "so"
>and what does it *really* mean?  I know it's about the quotation being
>erroneous, but accurately quoted, but where is it really from?

-- 
Corinne Brooks

"I may not seem as busy as the men around here....
.........that's because I did it right first time"

http://www.quizlady.demon.co.uk

Ian Coombs-Lewis wrote:
>Today, I actually saw people pulling off the motorway (M42 near M40),
>because the signs said "No Phones Await Police".  

How do you know that's why they were pulling off?  Perhaps they were
going to turn off there anyway!

--
Mark Scott    IBM UK, Basingstoke
+44 (0)125 634 3529
Views expressed are my own

In article <OwUTKCAPXZG1Ewup@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian Coombs-Lewis
<ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>
>Today, I actually saw people pulling off the motorway (M42 near M40),
>because the signs said "No Phones Await Police".  This was also causing
>some congestion, not surprisingly.  

Surprising anyone took any notice - when did you last see a phone
awaiting the police? 8-) 8-)

-- 
Julian Hayward        'Booles' on FIBS            julian@ratbag.demon.co.uk
+44-1344-640656                              http://www.ratbag.demon.co.uk/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
"In last week's issue we showed a picture of a firefighter putting out a 
burning chip pan with water. The caption should have read '...is the 
*wrong* way to put out a burning chip pan...' "
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In article <OwUTKCAPXZG1Ewup@jelibeli.demon.co.uk>, Ian Coombs-Lewis
<ian@nospam.demon.co.uk> writes
>Today, I actually saw people pulling off the motorway (M42 near M40),
>because the signs said "No Phones Await Police".

These must be the same people who won't go down an escalator because it
says "Dogs must be carried", and they are waiting for a suitable dog to
turn up.
-- 
"Time is an illusion. Launch times doubly so".

From out of nowhere, Mark Scott <mes@uk.ibm.com> gave these words to the
world...
>How do you know that's why they were pulling off?  Perhaps they were
>going to turn off there anyway!
They were pulling onto the hard shoulder.  There weren't that many of
them, I admit, but there were a few.
-- 
Ian.
My e-mail address is not real.  You are imagining it.  You are dreaming
of ian, found at jelibeli, followed by a dot, then demon, then something
about yukky cows.