Quote:

*This is a local convention used in a semi-jocular shorthand for italicisation or other vocal emphasis. Every speech community accretes its own slang and customs. What can I say? - get over it. [/shrug]



_Sorry_, I've been a member of this "speech community" for quite some time now, and somehow this meme didn't get accreted on to me yet. Where I'm from _this_ is emphasis, in case you ever visit my speech community.