Smart Quotes

[jakko]

When I use smart quotes in Dutch the format used defaults to: ,,quote me''.
But I need the (also in Dutch commonly used) English format: ''quote me again''
How can I change the format for the Dutch language setting?

Thanks,
Jakko

[RDNZL]

Is there anybody who knows the answer to this question?

I'm Dutch too and face the same problem!

[ninjagame]

The solution to your problem: In the "Preferences" pane, in the "QuickFix" menu, there is a check box in the lower left corner saying "Use Smart Punctuation (includes "curly" quotes)". Just uncheck the box, et voilà!

Have fun!

ninjagame

[RDNZL]

That's right - I've found that feature too.

But that choice changes the curly quotes in straight quotes.

I need both curly quotes superscript so to say and not the first one subscript (lower) and the second one superscript (upper).

Word 2004 does this correctly, it can make straight quotes curly, both superscript.

I think NWE hasn't implemented this feature or is it an Apple oddity?

[ninjagame]

Hm. Have you tried setting the "language" of your document to "English (U.S.)" or British English (I don't know how it's called in the menu since I'm not sitting at my own machine right now) an then enable the "Smart Quotes" feature again? (But NB: You have to "Select All" of your text before you change the language.)

[RDNZL]

Thanks for your help!

I'm not too sure whether this option is language dependent...

I will give it a try.

What does curly quotes do in the German language?

Does it give a subscript and superscript quote too?

I don't like the subscript one - it's very ugly and out of the common...

[ninjagame]

AFAIK "Language" is a formatting property of your text - there has been, if I remember correctly, a post to this effect not too long ago. That would mean that the option itself is not language dependent but the actual behavior of the smart quotes is, i.e. with U.S. English selected as language they would automatically be displayed as "curled" superscripts. But I'm not sure if I got that one right, so pleeze don't hang me for it.
In German, the smart quotes are subscript at the beginning and superscript at the end - as it is common in German. As for me personally, writing in German, I like it that way. Write it up to the strange German ways...

ninjagame

[RDNZL]

So... German has the same odd curly quotes as Dutch...

I will see to play around with the formatting properties of the language and the search the forum some more - I understand what you mean.

Thanks for the update!

[ninjagame]

Well ... I was surprised to learn that the subscript quotemarks are displayed in Dutch, too. Up to now, I thought that was a speciality of German...
But, speaking of "odd" - have you ever seen Turkish quotemarks? AFAIK they have superscript quotemarks at the beginning and subscript quotemarks at the end. What about that, huh ?!

ninjagame

[cchapin]

Same with Japanese.

--Craig

[ninjagame]

Right, I forgot. BTW same in Chinese, now that you mention it.

[meersaheb]

I think it should be changed - I never use subscript starting quotes. One way around is to type the quotes with the language set to English, copy them to one of the clipboards and paste them when you need them. They seem to stay up there... I'm sure it would be easy to create a macro that does this.
LOL

[xiamenese]

Right, I forgot. BTW same in Chinese, now that you mention it.

No, not the same in (Simplified) Chinese. If they use western-style quote marks, they are both superscript. Native Chinese quote marks are « and ».

Mark