Why are scare quotes bad?

Answer by  patti (29325)

There is nothing wrong with "scare quotes. " They are used to show that a word or phrase is a particular term used by some, but it is not a direct quote. The complaint about scare quotes is that if you want to include a word or term in your writing, don't use it if you feel it requires square quotes.

Answer by  johncoveleski (93)

Scare quotes, while not technically bad, are generally used by writers to distance themselves from whatever words or phrases are placed in quotes. Usually the author is attempting to express irony, misgivings, outright disagreement or contempt. Usually the reader should read words in scare quotes with a grain of salt.