# quote unquote

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/quote-unquote
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Emphasizes the following (or sometimes preceding) word or phrase for irony, or marks it as not the normal sense of the term.

## Examples

- He is a quote unquote expert, but he knows nothing.
- I am staying in a quote unquote luxury hotel that has no hot water.
- Your quote unquote healthy snack actually contains a lot of hidden sugar.
- My boss calls this a mandatory meeting, but it is quote unquote optional for everyone.
- She says she is looking for a quote unquote partner, but she really just wants someone to pay her expensive monthly bills.
- The company claims this is a quote unquote fresh start, but they are still using the same old equipment from ten years ago.
- The politician promised a quote unquote transparent process, yet the public remains excluded from every major decision.

## Origin

From *quote* + *unquote*, the term emerged as a spoken equivalent to the physical gesture of air quotes. It functions as an oral analogue to the scare quotes of print media, signalling the presence of irony, sarcasm, or euphemism within a statement.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.