r/UnnecessaryQuotes • u/Knever • Jul 24 '25

Made a "Fossil" for my friend's 5-year to discover

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0 Upvotes

22% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

22

u/SeaBearsFoam Jul 24 '25

Those quotes are used correctly tho.

-13

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

If I draw a picture of an apple, did I draw an "apple," or did I draw an apple?

6

u/DerekLouden Jul 24 '25

you drew a picture of an apple

-4

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Correct. This fossil can be considered a toy, decoration, art piece, or what have you. But just like the picture of an apple is not referred to as an "apple," despite not actually being one, this fossil is not a "fossil," it's a fossil.

7

u/DerekLouden Jul 24 '25

it's a toy fossil, not a fossil, so we call it a "fossil" to indicate it's not real

-4

u/Knever Jul 24 '25 edited Jul 24 '25

If you buy a toy truck for your kid, do you say you bought a truck or a "truck"? The "toy" part of the phrase is implied, mind.

4

u/DerekLouden Jul 24 '25

"I bought a toy truck for my kid" implies exactly what it means even if you don't know the person who said it. "I bought a 'truck' for my kid", because of the quotes around "truck", indicate that the truck isn't real and gives the context that it's for a young child, even if you don't know the person who said it. "I bought a truck for my kid" implies that the truck is (I'd assume they meant "pickup truck" and not "eighteen-wheeler") and that the kid is the grown up descendant of the person who said it, unless you already know that the person couldn't afford a real truck or that their kid is too young to be driving

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Okay, maybe that example was too far out. Let's go back to something similar; art, which this fossil could arguably be considered.

Let's say you created an art piece that looks like a door. It is intended to be seen as a door. But it does not have a frame and is not intended to be installed and used as an actual door.

Now, is that a door or is it a "door"?

2

u/DerekLouden Jul 24 '25

Ok, you've actually just stumbled across something that people have been arguing about for almost a century at this point. There's a very famous 1929 painting called "The Treachery Of Images" where it's a drawing of a pipe (as in the kind you smoke from) with the caption "This is not a pipe." (But in french). The guy who painted it, Rene Magritte, said "The famous pipe. How people reproached me for it! And yet, could you stuff my pipe? No, it's just a representation, is it not? So if I had written on my picture 'This is a pipe', I'd have been lying!". So the answer to your question is the same as the answer to the question (looking at The Treachery Of Images), "Is that a pipe?"

-2

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Interesting. I suppose there is relevance here, but only insofar as something being a depiction of something as opposed to having near-identical qualities.

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5

u/mistere213 Jul 24 '25

But this isn't a real fossil. The guy made it artificially to be found by the kid. If you really pictures of bones that are millions of years old, you're taking a picture of a fossil. If you were to draw this thing the guy made, you're taking a picture of a "fossil".

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Your wording suggests that you agree with me that, despite the drawing of an apple not actually being a real apple, it does not make sense to call it an "apple."

There really is no difference between the apple and the fossil. It may not be naturally made in the typical definition of the word, but, again, neither is the drawing of the apple.

2

u/mistere213 Jul 24 '25

But there is a difference. The poster created this as a stand in FOR a real fossil for a child to find. It's not really a fossil. If he said "made a sculpture of a fossil" then no quotation marks would be needed, to address your art claims.

Weird hill to die on, but this is correct usage here

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

If he said "made a sculpture of a fossil" then no quotation marks would be needed,

... what? What difference does it make if she said it was a sculpture or not? It's a creation made to look like a fossil. It's a fossil.

???

2

u/ZeusTroanDetected Jul 24 '25

Did you try to eat it or place it on a produce stand as if it were an apple?

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

No, but have fun trying to find examples of art of an object referred to as "object" by a majority of people lol

2

u/ZeusTroanDetected Jul 24 '25

Oh, I just wanted to be sure you weren’t eating paper.

1

u/SeaBearsFoam Jul 24 '25

If you draw a picture of an apple, did you make an apple or did you make an "apple"?

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Neither. I made a picture of an apple. Which, if pointed to and asked what it is, one could say either a picture of an apple or an apple, more likely the latter.

2

u/SeaBearsFoam Jul 24 '25

You're incorrect here.

It comes down to the way the verbs make and draw are used differently.

When we talk of making something, if we're making a replica or facsimile of something it's appropriate to use quotes around it. I made a basket of "flowers" is how we'd talk about putting together a basket of fake flowers. I made a "fossil" for my friend's 5 yo is how we'd talk about putting together something that looks like a fossil but isn't. We don't do that with the verb "draw".

0

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

I do not follow your logic. There is no difference between "make" and "draw" when it comes to creating something. They can be replaced easily with "create" as I just did in that last sentence.

7

u/evilfollowingmb Jul 24 '25

Isn’t this correct usage ?

-6

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

If I draw a picture of an apple, did I draw an "apple," or did I draw an apple?

4

u/flowershock Jul 24 '25

If you make an apple out of clay that looks like an apple, it’s an “apple”

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Interesting that you think that. I'd be bemused if you were to find some reputable sources that use quotes on art pieces like that.

3

u/flowershock Jul 24 '25

What? I was just trying to explain using your analogy. This is a model of a fossil that looks like a fossil. Since it’s not a real fossil putting quotes isn’t incorrect. Just like how a model of an apple that looks like an apple is not a real apple

-5

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

You're right that it's not a real apple, just like this is not a real fossil, but that does not mean quotes should be used.

I see this happen often when people make art in a medium that is uncommon. Like if someone built a boat out of paper, it's not going to be referred to as a "boat," it's a boat. The fact that it will not properly serve as a typical boat does, such as going on water without being destroyed, doesn't matter. It's still a boat.

4

u/IndividualDish7004 Jul 24 '25

they're using quotes right

7

u/ZeusTroanDetected Jul 24 '25

Here comes OP to tell you it should be “their”

-1

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Why do you think that?

8

u/IndividualDish7004 Jul 24 '25

because it's a fake fossil. so the quotes are being used right. lol

4

u/ZeusTroanDetected Jul 24 '25

Something something drawing of an apple

-4

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

Glad to see I'm in your head already :p

Or should it be your "head," since a human cannot physically be inside another human's head?

I'd love to hear your take on that one.

-2

u/Knever Jul 24 '25

If I draw a picture of an apple, did I draw an "apple," or did I draw an apple?

3

u/IndividualDish7004 Jul 24 '25

i mean, your drawing skills probably suck if you have to ask if it's a drawing of a fake or real apple. :p