a unquote

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a unquote" is not correct in standard written English. It is not usable in any context. An example would be: "He said, 'This is a great idea, a unquote.'" Alternative expressions include "to conclude," "to finish," or "to wrap up."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

And so when it came time to do the shuttle, they went from a space station to now a shuttle, Intermetrics was a quote unquote "prime contractor", to NASA because we were doing this little work.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

"John McCain said recently that Obama would, quote, rather win an election than win a war, unquote.

Huffington Post

Sounding good is not an accident". Q. I've heard you say you don't view yourself as a quote unquote "jazz guitarist". As such a versatile player, what's your approach as a guitarist now when it comes to making new music?

Forbes

"When someone spoke up, they were, according to a witness, quote, squashed like a bug, unquote".

Huffington Post

A worker might attempt to correct a "quote unquote mistake" when meeting someone whose appearance does not conform to the gender designation on their health card, Bauer said.

Los Angeles Times

"I'm Asian, and I thought it'd be really funny to order from the internet, essentially like a racist Charlie Chan costume, telling people I was a quote unquote 'Chinaman,'" he said.

Huffington Post

McCLATCHY -- Ned Rorem is, quote, a character, unquote, in his own diaries.

The New York Times - Arts

"It's more than just a quote, unquote, transit village that ought to be there," Mr. Robbins said.

The New York Times

It always annoyed me, as a teen-ager growing up in New York City, in the housing projects, that I looked like a, quote unquote, good boy.

The New Yorker

It originally appeared in English under the more accurate translation of the Italian title, quote, "If This is a Man," unquote.

Cornell University

"I mean, she was a quote unquote friend?" Mr. Endicott said his father went to high school with Mr. Condit and his grandmother proudly stakes Mr. Condit's name on her lawn come election season.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In formal writing, replace verbal markers like "unquote" with actual punctuation marks like quotation marks or a block quote format.

Common error

A common mistake is dropping the first half of the idiom and using "a unquote". This results in an nonsensical fragment. Ensure you either use the full verbal pair or stick to written punctuation.

How to use

Learn how to use "a unquote" with practical examples and tips.

How to use

Linguistic Context

The query "a unquote" is a non-standard grammatical fragment. According to Ludwig AI, it is an incorrect form of the spoken idiom "quote unquote". It fails to function as a coherent unit of speech or writing because the prefix "unquote" requires a preceding "quote" to have semantic logic.

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

After analyzing the data provided by Ludwig, it is clear that "a unquote" is not an established English phrase. While Ludwig AI identifies many high-quality examples of the idiom "quote unquote" being used in news and academic contexts to denote irony or citations, the specific query is a fragment that should be avoided. If you are trying to conclude a verbal quotation, the correct term is "end quote". If you wish to signal a skeptical use of a term, you must use the complete phrase "quote unquote" before the word in question. For formal writing, it is always better to use standard quotation marks rather than these verbal indicators.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

quote unquote

The complete and correct idiomatic expression used to signal irony or a verbatim citation in speech.

so-called

Provides the same skeptical or ironic nuance as the intended idiom.

end quote

The standard verbal signal used to conclude a formal quotation.

so to speak

Functions as a verbal marker indicating that a phrase is being used metaphorically or non-literally.

as it were

A more formal way to indicate that a description is not to be taken entirely literally.

alleged

Captures the sense of distancing from a claim often associated with "quote unquote".

in a manner of speaking

Used to qualify a statement that is not precisely accurate but conveys the right idea.

to conclude

A functional alternative for finishing a thought or citation.

namely

Used to introduce a specific identification, sometimes replacing the need for a quoted term.

allegedly

Adverbial form used to report claims without verifying them, similar to the distancing effect of quotes.

FAQs

Is it correct to use "a unquote" in a sentence?

No, "a unquote" is not a correct phrase. You should use the full idiom "quote unquote" or simply use quotation marks in writing.

What can I say instead of "a unquote"?

Depending on your intent, you can use "so-called", "end quote" or simply "so to speak".

Why is "a unquote" considered an error?

It is an error because it is a fragment of the idiom "quote unquote". Without the word "quote" preceding it, the term "unquote" has no reference point and becomes grammatically meaningless.

When is it appropriate to use "quote unquote"?

The full phrase is typically used in speech or informal transcripts to highlight that a word is being used ironically or is being attributed to someone else.