comma

in inverted commas

Used to indicate that something one just said is untruthful, ironic, or disingenuous. ("Inverted commas" is another term for quotation marks, chiefly used in British English.) We were "taught," in inverted commas, by the teaching assistant, but we did most of our learning independently.
See also: comma
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

in inverted commas

BRITISH, SPOKEN
COMMON If you say in inverted commas after or before a word or phrase, you are drawing attention to the word, and showing that it is not an accurate way to describe the situation you are referring to. So, in what sense do you see the students as disadvantaged, in inverted commas? I think that the assumptions of some people were that we would take democratic decisions, well, democratic in inverted commas. Compare with quote, unquote.
See also: comma
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

in inverted ˈcommas

(spoken) used to show that you think a particular word, description, etc. is not true or appropriate: The manager showed us to our ‘luxury apartment’, in inverted commas.
Inverted commas are another name for quotation marks (‘ ’) or (“ ”).
See also: comma
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

comma-counter

n. a pedantic person; a pedantic copy editor. When you need a proofreader, you need a comma-counter.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
See also:
  • in inverted commas
  • strike a false note
  • sound a false note
  • sound/strike a false note
  • could do without (something)
  • could/can do without something
  • be a world away
  • be worlds/a world away
  • banana oil
  • be worlds away
References in periodicals archive
Commas, like many punctuation marks, arose after ancient Rome but before Gutenberg.
Legal Writing Notebook: Toward a Unified Field Theory of Commas, Part I
Nunez is using code from Comma and Udacity to try to get his Ford Fusion to automatically slow down when it sees traffic signs, speed bumps, or potholes.
How a college kid made his Honda Civic self-driving for $700: who needs a Tesla when you can build your own automated copilot using free hardware designs and software available online?
A run-on or comma splice will have two independent clauses, two subject-verb pairs.
Chapter 23: Run-on sentences and comma splices
I think of him every time I consciously put a comma inside a quotation mark, as I just did.
Commas give us more than a little pause
Pulling together the book offered its own challenges to Comma.
Gaza beyond the headlines; BOOKS
The CRTC agreed with Bell Aliant citing "rules of punctuation." The placement of a single comma may seem like boring, picayune stuff, but you never know when ignoring the precise punctuation details will make a huge difference in legal outcomes.
Comma law
It used to be standard usage for a comma to be inserted between a subject and predicate.
The end of grammar?
Apparently, the second comma in the sentence placed after 'Indian companies' proved to be the dealmaker.
How A Simple Comma Helped AirAsia6Tata Aviation Joint Venture Win Approval In India
England-based Comma provides lubricants, seasonal and car care products to the UK as well as other European and Asian export markets.Country: UKSector: ChemicalsTarget: Comma Oil & Chemicals LtdBuyer: Cosan SA Industria e ComercioVendor: Exxon Mobil Corp , Esso Petroleum Co Ltd (EPCo)Deal size in USD: 100mComment: The deal size refers to the maximum payable amount.
Brazil's Cosan to acquire Comma Oil from Exxon unit
The Elements of Style (Strunk, 1935) instructs us to place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause.
The myth of FANBOYS: coordination, commas, and college composition classes
Most references include a comma after the individuals name though publication records generally do not.
Fast Fact: post-nominal nursing credential usage
Across the pond, they use a comma as the numeric break, not a period as we do.
Saved by punctuation?
In other words, according to most schoolmasters studied, those punctuation marks considered of primary importance for the composition and reading of a text are the comma, the colon, the full stop, the note of admiration and the note of interrogation; some of them also include either the semicolon (3) or the parenthesis, and other ones both.
Teaching punctuation in Early Modern England
Car care company, Comma, has been urging motorists to carry a hi-vis vest in their cars as more than 180 people are killed or seriously injured each year by the side of the road.
Lifesaving vest with a touch of designer style
But UK law continues to lag behind, says car care specialist Comma.
Bright jackets help save lives