The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-04-10
Just Among Ourselves
Passing commsns consid.red or tneonsiderst.

Why is Ii so difficult to quote the exact words
spoken by another? 1t is difficult In fact it seems
impossible Ii you want proof of this Just listen care
fully when friend quotes the remark of another
that you yourself have heard See how very inexact
the quotation is
Here is an example of what is meant Recently
on TV quiz program land, incidentally, there
we're no quiz programs between one and two a m.
on the Fridays of Lent; otherwise these programs
appear to be continuous contestant said the word
No, with strong emphasis, answering question
that had something to do with her age. Later,
member of the panel, of Judges jurors or testers
or guessers, said she suspected the because
the contestant had emphaticay said. Il am not"
notable example of misquotaton is that suffer
ed by Herbert Hoover When prohibition was the
law of the land Mr.. Hoover remarked that ii was
"an interesting experiment. noble in motive AL
most at once il was said that Mr. Hoover had called
the prohibition law z noble experiment" Yet,
is obvious, he did not say il noble experiment
he said II interesting experiment. II is
likely that he found nobility in the prohibition
movement or law; he was charitable enough to i'm
pute nobility to the motive of those who favored
the movement and enacted the law.
change OF position OF one word can make
orcat difference in statement Consider the unfor
unate bunder of the statesman who, during the late
end unlamented campaign for the presidency, was
10 introduce Mrs Nixon, with the assured prophecy
of Republican victory, as the next Vice Presidents
wife What he said "the Vice Presidents next
wife" Only the shift of a word but what world of
difference in the meaning
The author of textbook was recently interview
ed by young reporter. Running the results
of the questioning, the reporter said And so you
say you did not like the textbooks you had to use
and decided TO write your own" The author replied
RNffh fpIfn .afI of r. I1pI Il,
fact, have both liking and admiration for the text
books have used. What ! said that there ap.
peared need for textbook for certain pupils
who found the other very likable very admirable
textbooks too detailed and complicated
II may be possible TO quote person correctly
II you quote his written printed words, Other
wise il is so difficult matter that man Of dis
cerment who is not cync. says, "EUeru oral quota
tion is misquotaon." And this is not for the
very sound reason that nearly every oral quotation
tand printed one for the matter of the) is remark
pulled out of the context. II is for the that
oral quoters incapable of using the exact
words of the person they quote.
OF course TO do full justice to the author of any
quoted opinion or remark the person who quotes
his words should be able reconstruct the situation
and reproduce the atmosphere i'll which the words
we're spoken And the words themselves should be
uttered with the precise intonaton and emphasis of
their quoted use. Now. these are eXacting require
ments very difficult to meet II is easy to see how
every quotation be misouotation in view of
these definite conditions for its authenticity.
But the point made here is not easy TO under
stand For here we discuss the quoting of words
merely. with no question of situation. atmosphere
intonation emphasis Ii is sheerly on the point
OF exactness in repeating the actual words of
speaker, that we raise the question, and ask why
aa "A T. H. isa~w Ia H..
very words that another has sad?' Perhaps We
must call il a mystery and let il go at that
And perhaps the mystery is the mystery of human
lazness and carelessnesS Pedhans II Is the mystery
of that dull stupidity which refuses TO realize
sponsibty.. The quoter of remark actually as
sumes the personality of the speaker quoted and
slipshod quotation NAV do damage to the original
speakers reputation. We know of a very learned
gentleman tnow il Is true. dead, and therefore in
different 10 quotation and misquotation of his spok
en- words) who was quoted carelesSly as having an
swered a foolish queSoner with the words II
thought you had more of intelligence" Know
ing the poor dead scholar we know that he would
have bitten off his tongue rcther than utter such
nonsensieal iumbling of sense and intelligence
Yet the quoter glbiy quoted and seemed to thin
- had got off a very good thing
The great Suarez, il is said once put himself T.
trong penance for having Inundated careless
uoter who had attributed some statement to 81
Augustine Now, st. Augustine wrote small librar'
Of books and vet SaureZ familiar with ever,
line of them He was able to show the quoter Jus
where and how he had msquoted. But Saurez ncet
not have done penancc for hp''ilietinp the mar
That type of quoter is not capable of being humil
iaed Doubtless he went away convinced that Saure2
vas just an old fuddy-duddy and fusser
rifles II is certain that he went away convince
vat he was right about AUGUSTINE after all.
II is battling and disheartening thing to have
mes own words come home again all battered and
uangled and in far worse state than the Prodigai
ion when he returned to his fathers house Anf
till what does il matter? Ones words are no
often very Important and important not they
arc seldom listened to with any We know OF
large parish in which printers mistake bullet
ned he area with the announcement of a mission
to be conducted by "the Passionate Fathers And
not parishioner raised question, an eyebrow!