Thin Space

Just out of curiosity, what is your role in the publication process? As a copy editor working on paper, I usually make a note to insert a thin space. As a copy editor working electronically, I'm usually not asked to do anything because the typesetter will do a search for single/double quotation marks and insert the thin space, but sometimes I'm asked to insert a regular space.

I'd punt, to be honest, and ask someone at the publishing house--and if you're the author, I'd leave it without spaces.

You can do it, but ...

It is easy in a desktop publishing program, but since you are probably using Word, it is more difficult.

If you are producing text that you are going to print on a typical printer, you can do it in Word by going through a somewhat meticulous process of "expanding" selected text. I am going to do this from memory, so you may have to work your way through it.

Basically, if you have:

"'Stuff.'"

To put some space between " and ' at the left of the word, you select (highlight) the double quote ".

Right-click on the selection.
Choose Font.
Advanced.
Spacing.
Expanded. Choose 1 point if it is not automatically chosen.

Okay all of that. It should put a thin space between " and '.

For the '" on the right side of the word:

Select the '.
Go through the same steps.

You have to select the " on the left side of the word, but the ' on the right side of the word. If you do not do it correctly, you get expanded text where you do not want it.

Are you really sure you want to do this?

Niniva said:

How important is the thin space between a single quotation mark and a double quotation mark? And, how do I create such a thing? Is it okay to use a regular space to mark it for the typesetter?

Eg: Aaa said, "Bbb said, 'Stuff.' "

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There's pretty much never a time when you need to use single quotes in this manner, despite what an English teacher, or a grammar book written for non-writers, might say.

Now, I'd avoid any sentence that starts out Aaa said, Bbb said. It just sounds terrible. But when you have one character telling what another character said, it's best to do it without the single quotes.

You don't need single quotes in this type of dialogue anymore than we need them in real dialogue. When really speaking, we often say something like "Bob said the best thing about working at the embassy is the people you meet, not the pay."

Niniva said:

And, for that matter, I really wasn't expecting "thin space" when I googled to see if there is a space there or not. Honestly, never heard of one before. I was going to leave it without anything, but it doesn't sound so hard to insert the correct space, so I might at that.

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Don't.

Seriously, if you're an author writing a manuscript and you're not involved in the publication process, don't insert thin spaces, because someone is just going to have to go through the entire manuscript and strip them back out.

I've never seen anything in any of my editing research about inserting any kind of space in between a single quotation and a double quotation.

I also agree with James in that there is hardly a reason to use the single quotes for what other people have said, because it's not really the way people talk. Most people would say, "John said there's something weird about Smith," not "John said, 'there's something weird about Smith.'"

Of course, this is not a rule, it's just my opinion.

Niniva said:

Yeah, that's what I thought until I found one that looks horrid and reads stupid without them. The last time I used them was to trigger venom at someone using airquotes. It just seemed easiest. [I couldn't tell you how long ago that was.

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I've rarely seen a book with single quotes when another character is quoting someone.

Susan Littlefield said:

I've never seen anything in any of my editing research about inserting any kind of space in between a single quotation and a double quotation.

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It's a typesetting convention, and generally speaking it's something copy editors might be asked to flag, but otherwise it's usually the typesetter/compositor who handles the spacing.

This is not an issue authors need to worry about until the book is in page proofs. Seriously.

absitinvidia said:

It's a typesetting convention, and generally speaking it's something copy editors might be asked to flag, but otherwise it's usually the typesetter/compositor who handles the spacing.

This is not an issue authors need to worry about until the book is in page proofs. Seriously.

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"Susan said, 'I'm not worried.'"

Niniva,

I still don't think it needs the single quotes. I also don't think "to" is needed. Just, "Master says, run rabbit run."

I could be wrong, of course, but that reads fine to me."