On Fri, 17 Jul 1998, Otto Stolz wrote:
> Am 1998-07-17 um 8:23 h hat Michael Everson geschrieben:
> > Are these not also called "goose feet"?
>
> In German (mostly in primary schools), the quotation marks are termed
> "G�nsef��chen" which translates to "goose feet". Older pupils learn the
> official term, "Anf�hrungszeichen" which translates to "quotation marks".
The reason for calling them "G�nsef��chen" is rather obscure: the shape of
printed quotation marks resembles the form of a "Runkelr�be" (turnip?),
and this plant belongs to the family of "G�nsefu�gew�chse"
(Chenopodiaceae) -- spinach is in the same family...
Werner
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