What does sic mean?

From Library Technologies, Inc. Website:

"Many different barcode schemes are used in business and industry. The Universal Product Code (UPC), now ubiquitous in supermarkets as a means to control inventory and pricing, is perhaps the best known barcode symbology.

Only two barcode symbologies are commonly used in libraries: Codabar (or Code-A-Bar) and Code 39 (or Code 3 of 9). In library applications, Codabar generally consists of a string of 14 digits. The first digit represents a patron or item. That is, a first digit of '2' tells the circulation software that a patron number is being scanned; the number '3' signifies that an item is being scanned. The next four digits (digits 2 through 5) are the institutional identifier. The local system vendor either assigns this number or the library can make up its own institution code. For example, the library might use the last four digits of its telephone number or the last four digits in its extended nine-digit ZIP code.

The next eight digits (digits 6 through 13) define the sequence ID number. Most smart barcode sequences begin with the number 1—i.e., 00000001. The final digit (digit 14) is a check digit used to verify that the barcode number has been scanned accurately. An eye-readable form of the item number is usually printed beneath the scannable number. To improve human readability, spaces are inserted between digits 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 10 and 11."

http://www.librarytech.com/D-FLDB-E.HTM

Hey Dumbass...What does a discussion on "barcodes" have to do with the question at hand? Which is "What does sic mean?"

Wow,

It is interesting how this site has been up for several years (I'm assuming from the date of the barcode post) and I just discovered it and Mike only just 7 days ago posted something else... Does this mean no one else cares? Or no one else has stumbled across the site!

I'm happy I now know the meaning of sic ;-)

I am happy to know the mean of [sic] as well. If I had known sooner, I could have used it in a college English paper that I wrote, in which I quoted someone verbatim, only to be reprimanded for poor punctuation (although I still got an "A"). I knew that it was incorrect punctuation when I inserted it, but I hoped the teacher would understand that it was an exact quote. Live and learn.

this is most interesting...

Woah. I stumbled across this by searching for "What does [sic] mean?" in gogle after seeing it used in an e-mail featuresd on the TechTV Cable show called Unscrewed. This is quite an interesting internet anomaly.

wow, that was the most exact match for my search phrase for a long time:) thanks for info about sic

Nice to read others didn't know what the hell [sic] meant! All these years and I never took the time to find out until today....... As they say, "Live and learn"!

I agree. I just got fed up with not knowing and here I am. Thanks for the info!

Finally...I saw that all over the newspaper today in an article and it finally made me get up and go find out what the hell it stood for!

Now if only someone knew what it actually stands for. It is likely the initial letters of Latin words, but as I don't know my Latin... ;)

Well, Google answered my question for me.

http://www.freepint.com/bar/read.php?i=13661

Seems 'sic' actually *is* 'thus' in Latin.

I still don't get it.... is it an acronymn for a barcoding system or some sort of identification code ???? The definition of SIC is just crap! I want to know what a SIC code is used for. I feel like HEY where is my SIC code? Do you have a SIC code? What do you do with it??

THE ANSWER-

An Acronymn for "Standard Industrial Classification"

"A code number representing certain types of Industry and Company types"

"has been officially obsolete since 1997"

I say ignore it-

The SIC code -- Standard Industrial Classification -- is an out-of-date standard, still widely-used, for classifying industries. It's used quite a bit for statistical reporting on economic issues. In recent years it has been gradually replaced, in North America, with the NAICS -- North America Industrial Classification System. This system, adopted by Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada, is mostly the same for all three countries, although there are differences relating to each local economy. This SIC abbreviation is different from the word "sic."

A day for the diary.. I have finally confirmed the meaning of "sic". Thank you for the good folk at Reinvented for hosting this thread. Now I have but one question. What is the rule regarding the placement of [sic]? I guess it depends on whether you're highlighting a spelling mistake, or grammatical error. In the case of a spelling mistake, I expect you would it place it directly after the offending word. Whereas, in the case of a grammatical mistake, you would place it at the end of the sentence. Does that sound right?

I look forward to my first usage of [sic], so beware out there, I'm watching. As for the barcode reference, please find another three letter acronym, why must you bastardise this one? :)

Cheers.

When someone asks me what SIC "stands for", not what it means, I just say "Spoken in Context". Not exactly what it was MEANT to stand for, but makes sense and I don't have to elaborate further.

So

[sic] is Latin for 'Thus' indicating that you realise the sentence is wrong, but you are quoting it anyway. It is often used by reporters quoting Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I would vote for him anyway cos he is cool.

SIC also stands for Standard Industrial Classification,and it is found in statistical reports. But that's probably not what you are after aye.

Great, glad that we've cleared that one up.

You're all gays

I agree with Ed. God bless the internet for keeping alive years old posts (you all crack me up) . Now I know the meanings of SIC I did "Google", and the types that also what to know.

your all dik flops *PRAISE ED* sic is a bike shop in sydney you banna pooos

The meaning was apparent from its usage--but now I know what it means for sure.

"I was getting sic [sic] of wondering so long about the actual meaning of sic." --MrEguy

I find it bizarre that this site was meant to answer the question "What does [sic] mean?" but I like it! I can't wait to tell all my friends, err, I mean, friend.

I was reading Micheal Moore's "dude, wheres my country" (incidently, if the yanks keep bush in after reading that book, then i'll be truly convinced that they deserve EVERYTHING they ever get regarding 'terrorist' (military) attacks)....anyway...a page had [sic] on it, and as i really and truly want to understand just what the F*** is going on in our world led by bush/blair, I looked up "what does [sic] mean on jeeves, and it led me to this page. Knowing what it meant didnt enlighten me as to what the f*** is going on in our world, it just indicated that the person who wrote it (in a position of importance) shouldn't be where they are in the 1st place. I'm still trying to understand whats going with bush [sick].

aiyah, no lah. "sic" is one of the title names of slipknot's song lah sia. no wonder u all blur blur. my english very poor lah. so i using singlish. can understand rite? haha...

good stuff.... hehe... I'm a college student and was using SIC incorectly... but poped it into google and, hey, found out the real meaning.

Thanks for the entertainment, I too wanted to find out what [sic] meant, and during a slow night at home I found this site. I enjoyed a good laugh 'at' some of you. This act should be taken on the road.

Should tere not be a law against using acronyms that people do not understand [uiz]?

I say "C Tompkins" has the most relevant answer. It's what I have always deduced by putting 2 and 2 together after seeing it so many times in things I've read. One more thing - I also noticed that [sic] needed to be used in many of these threads, but the author didn't.....realize it. : )

Steve's thread was good, too. : )

What does the acronym ADT stand for?

LOL i am effing thourougly amused by this frickin' long thread. i am so effing [sic]core. umm im just here to say everyone go listen to some metal because metal is good. and i mean music, dont go sit by a metallic element and try to listen to it, neeners. o and i am agent smith and im a ninja too. @l\l[) ! (@l\l +`/l*3 1!l<3 +l-l!5

It means Standard Industry Code

this website is wierd...

All my life,(except for when I was a baby), [sic] i've wanted to know what [sic] means [sic] so i can use is correctly [sic] and people will realize how smart i actually am. i've read all your posts and i still don't know. You all make me sic.

if somebody makes a spelling mistake in a post or book or whatever and you want to quote them, you place [sic] after the misspelled word, that way people don't think it was you're fault that the word was misspelled. sic is actually latin for 'so' or 'thus'

notice i said you're when i should have said your, if you were going to quote me you would write "...that way people don't think it was you're[sic] fault..."

you can use it with grammatical errors or capitalization and all those other nifty things

Its some kind of spread like grey pupon

but its not grey

amazing that you can have a post about [sic] and still not fully understand its meaning

its as gay as the cool one. but he's not cool.

he's just a fucking nob[sic].

Yeah...me(sic)too.

thx for this post mates, good to know the meaning of sic finally 0_0

sic means that someone is quoting something they know is wrong, but are quoting it anyway.

President Bush said the sky was "(sic)red" and money was "(sic)free" Bush also said "Mr.Cheny does (sic)not controls me"

It actually comes from the Latin, "sicut" (meaning is best translated "as is"). It is used by writers when quoting other writers to show that an error in punctuation or spelling, or a stylistic eccentricity, was present in the original version, and is not their own mistake.

Sort of a sly way of showing how clever you are by highlighting the mistakes of others.

ah at last the origin as well as the meaning.

I got here the same way majestik did. Except I read the (sic) in the son of sam letters..

i skipped work today because i was sic

i kan't believe i just red that hole thread.

yeah... me too!

I think everyone should put their age on here so we can see how long it took for them to ask "what does (sic) mean".

I am 22 years old. Is that sick?

"Sic" means "thus" in Latin, and can also be used to signify "yes." In the case of "[sic]" in brackets inside a sentence or quotation, it signifies:

- a grammatical mistake;

- an untruth;

- sarcasm or disagreement with a so-called fact,

statement, opinion etc.

"Bob wrote: 'We is all goods peopol [sic].'"

"John Johnson is a deranged man who calls himself 'Robert.' Today Robert [sic] went to the library."

"That leftist Hillary Clinton was quoted as saying, '[There is] a vast, right-wing conspiracy [sic]...'"

I hope this clears things up a bit.

Corey Zelinski

[sic] should be used sparingly or it becomes as confusing as the referenced text. It covers up any notion that "you" made the grammatical or spelling error, or whatevr [sic].

The term is most often used by journalists and authors lashed to textual accuracy when quoting or making a personal point or opinion [sic].

qué peyote

O.K., I'm 45 and I guess a dumbass because I've always wondered what(sic) meant. Now I know thanks to a couple of not so dumbass people! In addition, I did get some great chuckles out of these post. GET A LIFE!

SIC means spelling incorrect da!

SIC means spelling incorrect................

Corey is correct. When I studied high school journalism in the early '50's we were taught that it came from the Latin word for "thus," but that journalists used it to mean "see in copy." The implication was, indeed, that some OTHER idiot made the mistake, not you.

Yes, finally I too know what [sic] means! It's been a confusing 25 years, that's for sure.

I am so smart, I am so smart, S M R T, I mean S M A R T [sic]...

I just read all your comments on the word [sic]. I need a beer and a nap now.

Feckin internet - although that was quite probably the most boring 2 minutes of my life, i couldnt help but read the whole post.

At least by adding yet another comment i make it that little bit more unbearable for the next reader.

Well, I'm off to patent sic. I think that it could be quite lucritive. At least I would get a couple of bucks from you people.

hmmmm... I wonder if there is a patent on sick too...

We shall see...

Hehe! I just found out that I can patent incorrect spelling too! Woohoo! Drinks for all my friends!

wait wait wait! You are all wrong! [sic] means "the way" in latin, or "the way he said it".

It mean that the quote was exactly as the person said, and NOT an error on the writer's part."

eg:

"You have been warmed [sic]." to show that there is not a spelling mistake in the quote, but that THAT is what the person actaully said.

OK! NOW I can go and patent [sic]! Now that I have the correct usage. Yay! Many people say things every day, AND get quoted! I shall be rich!

I read everything on this page. Three or so said it means "thus." A couple said "thus, so." One said "the way." One very authoritatively said " . . . comes from the Latin, "sicut" (meaning is best translated as "as is")." "Spoken in context" is a good mnemonic. One guy took the time to explain the origin of the abbreviation that uses the same letters and how it has nothing to do with "sic." Frances really got things off the mark with her discussion of the acroym and barcodes. Mr. Bong, Georgina and Coh3n win my vote for most pointless. Unfortunately, I didn't find a definitive answer to how to properly use "sic". Does it have to be used within a quote? Should it be used only with brackets? Seems like it should come right after an offending word. But, how about after an offending sentence or paragraph? At least, anyone who reads this whole thread should never forget the meaning of "sic." Really, reading this whole thread must have an affect on one's charma. We should be careful though. Ben laden could be reading this, too.

goodness... Big Ed go here and have all your questions answered... few had parts correct, few were sophomoric and others were just complete morons..here is the link

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/usage/sic?view=uk

Thank you all for the most entertaining 15 minutes I have ever spent on the Internet.

51 years old and never used nor had any reason to use, but will make the most of my opportunities to highlight mistakes of others from now on.

i think this discussion has gone a little overboard. if ur gonna explain something, fine, but jeez how many pointless posts does it take before its jut TOO MUCH

lol let me try again: i think this discussion has gone a little overboard.

if ur gonna explain something fine, but jeez how many pointless posts does it take before its just TOO MUCH?

At this point, all of this is just history...

I'll be sure to use this from now on. Funny how many people found this thing like I did and read this whole boring thred [sic].

Happy that I finally know it.

But I'm only 16, so I checked it before any of you, yay!

Man, what a popular topic, many ppl must read the newspaper... At the time of me writing this, this topic is about 2 years and 5 months old. Thats quite impressive...

You know what it is? It's the mentality of these people looking for the meaning of sic. WHY are they looking for it? Maybe they're just picky. And that's why this thread is so damn long. Go on. Maybe we can form a club of sic people. ;)

Holy Mother of God; I promise to discipline myself to never again Google one of those little nagging questions at the back of my mind during a lazy period at work. I shall now pour some hot coffee in my trousers & get back to work....

After reading all the post on sic I've come to a conclusion.... sadly this post could last forever...

I've also been wondering what "[sic]" meant for years but never got round to looking it up ("spelling incorrent" seemed the most plausible answer given the context in which it was used, but I was never certain).

Thanks to Google and whatever this site is, I now know. :)

Amazing

Terry come home. All is forgiven. We never meant for you to find this site [sic]. Hopefully, your Prozac is working and you will come back safely.

P.S. We've thrown away the computer. (P.S.? Doesn't that mean 'Post Script'?....does anyone know?)

Asa,

We have been imortalized on this [sic] site. I am sure that discussions such as these are exactly what the internet was invented for. Think of all the burning questions we could Google, and all the similar discussion threads we could be a part of! I am so excited! And so VERY glad that I, too, am a dumbass and had to research the meaning of ... I forgot why I am here!!!

I came here from google as well. Fantastic; I've made it inot internet nerd heaven.

Aleluya,

I´ve been looking for the meaning of this [sic] for a long period of time and today via google was really easy.

bravo!

stop talking crap... what DOES [sic] mean????

AHHHHhahahahha! Oh! The power of KNOWLEDGE!

(By the way, Asa, PS does mean "Post Script". And PPS, "Post, Post Script", etc.)

Arguing on the Internet is like competing in the Special Olympics. Even if you win, you're still a retard.

Pierre,

Here you go...

Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.

That from Atomica. And further:

Date: ca. 1859 : intentionally so written; used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it is intended exactly as printed or to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original <~said he seed [sic] it all>

blah blah blah, I just wanted to know something, what does stupid F*****G (sic) mean because I see it EVERYWHERE ! After reading all this and partially being totally entertained, partially impressed and partially bored, IT is "A Wrinkle in Time" (recent moovie (sic) sucked but a total great classic book in hindsight to anyone wit (sic) A BRAIN) and IT a nd (sic) all that and DAMN... much ado about fucking nothing...

Bush detractors, Love ya all (sic) Buttt (sic), ya'll need corrective lenses to sea (sic) the world for what it all really IS ! Do Ya stand UP to bullies (sic 'er maybe not, you tell me) ? "Er ,, let ;em WALK TROD STOMP ALL OVE YER DUMB ACTIONLESS ASS ? ( sic? ))

Anyone wanna go for the Giness book world rccord for a post lifespan? Started December 15, 2001 - ????

p.s.: It only took me 38 years to look up the meaning. Now I no way more than I ever wanted to.

p.p.s.: I've left several opportunities for you to use [sic] in your writing if you wanna quote me.

What a wonderful way to waste a morning at work :)

However, in order to keep this post fresh and interesting, let me introduce another question that has been touched on here. What comes after p.p.s.?

I generally believed it to be p.p.p.s., but a rather knowledgable friend of mine tells me it should be p.p.s.s.

Any thoughts?

p.s. I'm 30 and I finally know what [sic] means.

p.p.s. I can't wait to use it for the first time.

p.p.s.s.[sic] does this count???

SIC "stands for", "Spoken in Context".

We all see that the spelling is incorrect,

but fault lies with the original quote

and not the writer who is informing you.

I knew what it was used for, but had been asking people at work what is actually stood for. I guessed it was Latin, so, like most people here put "what does sic mean?" into Google and came here!

So "sic"is Latin for "thus", but the above guy says it's "Spoken in Context". Hmm....

Why did I just waste my time reading this entire post? I suppose I did come away with a contextual meaning for [sic] but no true definition. Good enough for me.

Ahhh...FINALLY. I'd seen it sooo many times and never ever got off my great big ass to find out its exact meaning or origin or what it stood for, etc. And then I was reading some article on BBC News about the Sasser worm dude and there it is...taunting me...[sic]...kinda like...go on...find out what I mean...you know you want to...

...and alas, I acquiesced to its enigmatic charms and now here I am! And the BBC article's still only half-read 'cos I've just spent God knows how long at this page wading through all this crap. So I'm thinking...mehhh...why not add to the reeds and weeds...

...so there you go. What can I say? It's just my ba [sic] sense of humour.

Now... Im (sic)

Wizzie, yer [sic] friggin' [sic] killin'[sic] me!!! luv [sic] ya [sic] - mean it

Now I know, and then some.

Now I have to get ready for work.

Strange that currently a lot of people want to know what (sic) means when for so long, no one was looking.

Something in the air?

And for the few who need to be reminded, please take your trash with you.

Have a great day.

it's a [sic] world isn't it

2 days till the subliminal verses comes out

(SIC) SLIPKNOT

This thread has taught me about sic and, more importantly, the meaning of life itself. Thank you Google.

This is [sic] quite funny...

LOL

[sic] = thus

thus = as in

as in = [sic]

Get it?

I saw a word mispelled in a newspaper article the other day and saw [sic] next to it. So today I tried using it myself in a message that I writing. I wrote it as (sic) instead of [sic]. Is it correct to use the left and right bracket symbols to enclose sic and incorrect to use the left and right parentheses?

It took me 37 years to look up the word sic. I'm sorry I did. I had to be sic[sic] to read thru[sic] this entire tread[sic].

BTW what DOES et al mean?

'et al' is sort of like 'and all'

like...

"I hate the entire Bush administration... George, Dick et al"

phew. been meaning to look this up for 2 years +. now i know. satisfying, eh?

--sam.

I can't believe that I came across 2 sites discussing the meaning of [sic]. That is jsut [sic].

-Dave

You know your job is dissatisfying when you should be working and instead you're reading articles on CNN about 11 year old girls writing to Nordstrom's about making their teen clothing lines less slutty and then you come across the word [sic] and then google the meaning of [sic] and then you decide to read 2 1/2 years of posts and then add your own.(Should a [sic] be placed after a run-on such as this one if it were a quote? Can a [sic] be used within parentheses as I've done here?)

> Why do golfers take two pairs of pants with them???

> In case they get a hole in one.

and just to stay on the subject of [sic]....

> What did the fish say when it swam into a wall???

> Dam!!! [sic]

This is the greatest thread of all times. I now know the meaning of [sic], and many other secrets of the universe.

you find yourself wondering at the end of this thread about the very fabric of the universe and its general integrity...

this is an awsome thread. i feel that others at the turn of the century simply chose not to add to it and then Frances' entirely confusing addition on the discussion of the reason why the PEI library card number was the way it was sparked this generation of aimless pondering.

for the record

et al * comes from the Latin et alii, meaning "and others"

i think next time i'll just ask my english prof...

[sic] means "Spelling in Citation". It would imply that the spelling, which you recognize to be correct, has been copied from its source, which has been cited. In legal documents it is against the law to cite and change the meaning (fraudulent), and so the use of [sic] has evolved as a critical way to assure people that the mistake is not yours. It does not mean "thus" or have any latin connotations, and it certainly is not the same S.I.C. as Standard Industrial Classification.

I just read a news article where a phrase is quoted from a subject that had written on a billboard, and the phrase was quoted in the same way it was spelt, which had spelling errors, finishing with the word sic. Which would have me to believe that sic in this case, is the Latin word, used to confirm what has been written is correct/right and not an error of the author.

Now if you were just going to pull parts of my text above and use it in a legal document maybe S.i.C. would be required, but if this whole paragraph was going to be used in its entirety and you were worried that somebody might think that all the above grammatical and spelling errors would be associated to you, then you would like to be putting the word sic at the end of it, so people didn’t think all this drivel was your own follies.

I too am happy i don't know the meaning of sic ;)

[sic] isn't an acronym ...so quit sweating over what the letters stand for. it is used to indicate that any error in quoted text is from the author. there aren't totally definitive rules for its use, but instead needs to be used with one's own judgment concerning whether the errors would possibly be attributed to the quoter or not. generally just grammar and spelling stuff is noted, not meaning or content. even grammar is often questionable, because we assume as readers that the words are what they are, but the source of a spelling error can be ambiguous (or sometimes you want people to notice that the error was in the text originally which can help your case when you are quoting a dumbass! haha). you should use the square brackets [sic].

et al. means "among others"

you'll see it when people cite others in text but don't want to write all the names, and people sometimes use it in other ways like bush et al.

How Do You Pronounce MNOPSPTEICHE? [sic]

Just ate 3 cream cakes.... I feel slick [sic]

I don't mean to change the subject... but what does valorized/valorised mean??

VALORIZED: To fix or stabilize the price of (a commodity, etc), especially by a policy imposed by a government or other controlling body.

“SIC” is a CODE used that basically means whatever you just read is taken verbatim from a source, even though the context, grammar or even spelling is incorrect.

[sic]is a way of showing how smart and clever you are by highlighting the mistakes of others, editors utilize it to make fun of the way someone utilizes grammar, most editors would just correct the mistake...those who are actually [sic] ..........don't bother.

(sic) is now being used after words or phrases that no longer appear to be 'politically correct', also, like they are not the one who should be held accountable for a politically incorrect idea, but if they reprint it, then they are. If you have to 'point it out' as someone else's inappropriate [free speech], then you are thusly just relating that you actually agree, but just don't have the guts to admit it.

’sic’ means ‘as is’. .........however, it is utilized only in writing as a simple CODE to allow those who are virtually clever to recognize the

fact that not everyone is certainly not as clever as they are.....however, the use of the [sic] in any written article just takes away from the true intent of the idealistic writing. If you see [sic] then you will automatically begin to search for any misuses of vocabulary and grammatical mistakes. And this, of course, takes away from the true intent of the original writer's view.

I am of the opinion that any editor who feels compelled to utilize [sic] in an 'edited' article, then they, themselves, become the one who is guilty of being stoooopid. [sic]

Afterall, what are EDITORS for?

Should the word be used in describing God? It is my feeling that the word does take away from the true meaning of God.

You actually havent given me the meaning of the term and how it should be used correctlt in reference to describing God. I do not believe it should be used in describing God.

Please give me your true thoughts regarding the use of the word (term)

freaks[sic]

I too have been wondering until now. It is f-a-n-t-a-s-i-c

this is just sic [sick] [SIC]

but it is "f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c [SIC]"

this is what i call a CONSPIRACY.

the day we find out what [SIC] means is that day that George Bush finds weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

reading thru the years of comments i forgot how i got to this site...i guess i am sic

fuck fuck fuck

Just think: You're interviewing some fucking hick for the newspaper, and he can barely speak, due to his mother technically being his sister, who technically should have been his brother before the hormone therapy. In order to publish his words exactly, without you looking like a fucking dickhead, just dump it all on (sic). I just generally think of it as meaning "Spelling Is Correct" In other words, "Hey, I'm just quoting some fucking heffer". Oh-and I agree with Biff up there. FUCK!

Im love sic (sic) ..... I wish the girl i like knew how i felt about her, and how much i wanted to be with her.. but she likes me i no (sic) she does..... she has told me she likes me.... but her dad wants her to marry sumone (sic) else... :(.... and her dads a bad man, she hates her dad.. infact.. but doesnt want to upset her family.

. I dont know what to do, my hearts torn. True story... am sad, but still tryin to keep my sense of humour.... even though... I cant even sleep and have a real bad headache worrying...

Never laughed so much in my life...feels great to know there are so many of us out there...

Go to the address box and replace 508 with 420 and you would see "Where it all began?"...some indian behind this??

"Sic" is used directly after a mispelling in a snetence [sic]. When writing papers, it is customary to put "sic" in brackets, as I just did after the mispelled word in the previous sentence.

Someone asked if it could be used after quoting a statement containing a grammatical error, either immediately after the error, or, at the end of the sentence. The answer is usually neither. When you are quoting someone, any grammatical errors the reader comes across should be understood as just that...errors not of the writer's own making, thus you do not need to use "sic." I can't think of any time I've come across usage like this, however, I'm not saying it's not allowed or doesn't happen, just not as far as I know. At any rate, the popular usage of "sic" is to show that you did not make spelling errors yourself.

after 41 years i was so tired of wondering what [sic] stood for i decided to use my internet time at university to find out....little did i know it would bring me to a stupid website about barcodes, but it seems some of you bright sparks decided to put me out of my misery and clear up one of lifes little mysteries........i have been entertained and its passed my time away til my next lecture...oh and i have decided to use [sic] wherever possible, maybe i can baffle my tutors with bullshit too....i'm just a happy little vegemite :)

so as of today, we have close to 1 billion internet users globally. ok, probably only 50% of these users can understand english. we therefore have a pool of c.500 million people who could have read this page during its two and a half year (so far!) existence. yet no-one can provide a definitive answer to this seemingly simple question?

does that mean that those people who actually use those three letters responsible for this entire thread do so without actually knowing what the letters stand for, but simply in the knowledge that they are using them in the correct context to, ironically, highlight his/her quoted author's fallibilities?

funny. i think i'll bookmark this page and come back again next year. maybe we'll have a straight answer by then. :)

...nahh..... :)))

Look you lot, its been said a number of times already; (sic) refers to the latin "thus" hence meaning that in a direct quote a syntax error, misspelling or grammatical error was said exactly as that, or to be concise, said "thus". It is what it is, no more no less. Refer to dictoinaries, enclyclopaedias & you'll find this is the case.

On a lighter note, I just saw a protester here in Boston, (DNC Week) yelling about something or other in a large shabby group marching up Boylston St, fall off his bicycle and eat asphalt. Priceless!

Back you work you lot!

uhm.. now this is fascinating..

I won't bother to count, but there is probably twenty identical explanations of what [SIC] means in this thread..

As always, people just can't learn to check what others have been writing..

By the way; is there ANYONE here that is an actual regular at reinvented.com, and has no come via google wondering what the hell [sic] meant?

funky.

obviously people have their own opinion on what SIC means; and feel the need to express them.

I for own like the more "scientific" explanation; that being SIC actually stands for 'spoken in context'. The explanations makes more sense to me.

BUT

there is no denying that latin was the birthmother of english, so SIC meaning thus, or so is also a good explanation. This would be more of a "spiritual" explanation.

But like i said, me being a more "scientific" person, I like the abbreviation explanation better.

it's just like the argument that bible thumpers and lab rats will be having for the remainder of eternity.... did we evolve from monkeys, or did God 'create' us?

we'll just never know. heh

One of the regulars on www.georgecarlin.com BBS asked the group was [sic]meant and I stole some of your explaintions here to give them, now I look smart at yer [sic] expence!

Pat!

After reading all that I feel like I am part of some club, so I guess I should post. What amazed me the most at reading all the posts was that many still used [sic] incorrectly. Wow. Thank you reinvented.net!

We should all meet up and eat lunch sometime.

I READ ALL THAT CRAP AND WAS STILL UNANSWERED!!!! WHAT THE FUCK DOES IT MEAN?

Thanks for the page.

Hah! Been using SIC for a long time! Know I now the

meaning...I love obscure latin references.. a 2,000

year old empire and we still have their words in

our lexicon! We should be so lucky to see if any of

our crappy words survive 10 minutes. By the time

I write this 'Bling' or 'Krunk' will be obsolete!

BTW I really hate bar scannners they give me a headache.

And I REALLY REALLY hate articles about them.. :)

All you college students. Be true to yourself and what

you want to do. Believe in your dreams and yourself.

Find a way to do what you love as a career if your

heart and soul is in it the money will follow..

Just thought I would interject since so many of

my college buddies went the safe route and did

something they didn't love for money. Sometimes

I feel like I am the only one who took the road

less travelled. Hard? Yes very.. But rewarding as all

hell.

Wow. Pretty cool. I've been wondering what "[sic]" meant for a few years now, but finally did the "Ask Jeeves" search on it today. In case you're wondering, I am 31.

Previously, I had come up with my own meaning, "Spoken in context" as Debbie (post #14, above) also did. Now I'm glad I know the real meaning and usage. I am an engineer, however, and seldom quote other people in my work. So I doubt I'll ever have any good reason to use it.

Vote for John Kerry- we need a more sensitive, kind and loving war. John will bring healing to the inner children of the all the terrorists. He is the only good and nonstupid white male (self included). Out of all the super-wealthy politicians that have postured themselves to be an "adverage Joe," John is the first to really, really mean it! Trust me!

...and besides, have you heard? He's got THREE PURPLE HEARTS ...and in only 4 months of tour!

[really sic]

i hate john kerry.who gives a fuck if he won 3 purple hearts in a four months of tour.Come to think about,i hate politics altogether.i

don't even understand why we need a president..if the iraqies (my spelling sucks.)or the germins whatever.if the wanna bomb us,i say let'em.i don't care if i die.i'll die sooner or later.and i also

thought [sic] meant "spoken in context" (as many others did) and it's also a slipknot song. well,i'm out. :)

this has wasted 5 minutes of my time as well. procrastination at its best. thanks for all the replies.

Clever1_

Dam [sic] you are a fast reader... I just wasted half an hour reading this. I do feel smarter for doing so though.

The reason I came here > > > "He's got electrisy too, Mom!" (sic.).

"Whats a GUY'em? Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh a Guyyyy'emmmmmmmm..."[sic]. If I am correct, this is how homer would say it. Thanks website place place now I know everything.

Hey all,

(sic) is short for sicuro or "safe". Use if after quoting spelling errors or statements you know not to be correct...your essentially acknowledging the error, and not perpetuating it...my 2cents

I love the last sic I saw. It followed the trendy new flip flops worn by a beautiful model and she referred to them as her John Kerry shoes.

[sic] or (sic) (Latin for "thus") is a bracketed expression used to indicate that an unusual spelling, phrase, or any other preceding quoted material is intended to be read or printed exactly as shown (rather than being an error) and should not be corrected. When found in a French document, (sic) stands for "Sans Intention Comique" (without comic intention) meaning that even if the preceding text could be understood as funny, it was not meant to be.

This is a expression used in many languages, like Portuguese also.

Sorry guys for added another post!!!

But I think it's needed.

...and my addition to the absurdity...

Stepping In Crap... Definitely (sic)

Finally i know that the heck (SIC) is. I've had 5 english teachers/professors who must be incompetent because i"ve been asking the meaning for years and recieved no clue until now.

what does (sic) mean?

Put that in Goolge and it gets you here.

I can't believe I read the whole thread. Entertaining + I found out what [sic] means after many years ;)

I LIKE beer AND this IS a VERY long THREAD

sorry for being me

I am just contributing to the awesome amount of text that is necessary to expalin (sic) what (sic) means!!

LETS LISTEN TO BACKGROUND NOISE!!

BBBbba

BUBBA (with steroids)

I can't believe I have read the whole of this thread...

I feel enlightened but robbed.

At least I'm happy that it was on work time and I have just earned cash for finding out about [sic]

Should be [$i¢]

Hahahahahahahaha!

:oD

Could not believe all this just from typing "What does sic mean?" in a google search. Great to find out what it means but after reading all these posts I'm sic of it!

... sic means that someone is quoting something they know is wrong, but are quoting it anyway

Now I know.

This reminds me of Gotfrag.

/D

[sic] is totally sick

thanks to SIC

In The Salmon of Doubt Douglas Adams wrote "or you could set it to MANUEL [sic]", I am at work, wanted to know queried Google and here I am. Figures that, this just added to the interconnectivity of all things.

[sic]

Latin, so, thus

sic: intentionally so written -- used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it is intended exactly as printed or to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original.

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English swA; akin to Old High German sO so, Latin sic so, thus, si if, Greek hOs so, thus, Latin suus one's own.

I think I was hipnotized [sic] by this very very long thread! I must add myself to this list so that I may also live on forever as a poster on this, the longest thread in the history of in INTERNET.

now I will look at

http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/usage/sic?view=uk

to find out what [sic] really means.

life is like an icecream, and then you melt.

Fantastic. Libraries, evidently, are gay. However, it all seems rather spectacular that such an outcome as this 'thread' would arise from a 'big bang' millions of years ago. In the distant past. Yeah what the hell is with that anyway? Why does time take its time? Why not just get it all over now. Times up, bye!

This is an amazing group of people we have here... just think about the possibilities... and all because each and everyone one of us wanted to know what [sic] meant. Now that I kind of know..

thank you.

Amazing place, the net. I never knew there were so many crazy buggers(sic.) all over the place. I love it. After 30 years I find a gadzillion others have the same problems I do.

Can someone tell me what Rx means? I am really SICK but scared to goto a Doc, cos the next time they write Rx and I don't know, I'll DIE of curiosity(sic.).

I always thought (sic) was used to indicate that someone was being sarcastic. I cant believe how so many people could waste so much of their lives on this thread (sic)

Awesome, i just used sic on my essay for psychology and wanted to make sure i spelled it right i guess... my computer was telling me to make is capital. w/e. maybe it is supposed to be capital?

I'm 29 and it took me years to finally look up [sic] as well. That was a FABulous 30 min's I just spent reading this thread, the longest thread I have ever read. Thank you for the knowledge and the laughs. BTW, GEORGE W BUSH ROCKS!!! Kerry is a traitor to the US armed services and unfit for President! 4 more years!

Hi. At the age of 37, 17 years after first seeing [sic]this website tells me that it means "thus" or "as is". I think it is used a lot by writers and journalists to make themselves seem clever. Sic sucks and quite frankly I'm sic of it [sic]. Or should that be (sic) or even {sic}.

I think I can survive without using sic!

Another latin expression I saw in a Surgical textbook was "vide infera." This pee's me off!

"The incision for the operation, vide infera is made over McBurneys point."

For years I and many colleagues wondered whether the incision was called vide infera. Ask Jeeves has informed me that it means "see below".

Thus or [sic] (since sic means thus) people shpould avoid using latin when simple English will do unless you are ROMAN!

I meant should in my post! Sorry i'm feeling a little sic.

Thanks for the (sic) humor. You guys all must be from Seattle - or Helotes, TX. They have the Cornyval (sic) there every year.

Pace, yo.

Do you think sic and cis are related, latin origins..

btw what is the latin for 'latin'?

Hey i still don't know what (sic) means!

Just read some more posts. Think i get it now. That was a good hour wasted trying to find out what it means though, after about 15 years of wondering.

So..."sic" = "so" - sick.

It would appear so.

We'll that helps a bunch. I just always asumed [sic] that it meant "we know this isn't correct"

From Yahoo news.....

Last January, a Jackson supporter by the user name of Sholeh Bocchelli posted a supportive, if grammatically challenged message on the Website, FreeMichael.org.

"I beleive [sic] in your total innocence, i [sic] love childeren [sic] as much as you," the same-named Netizen wrote.

Jackson, 46, is the acknowledged father of three children, two by ex-wife Debbie Rowe, and one by an unknown woman.

This is impressive. I love the internet.

I feel like I am part of something special. Long live this [sic] post.

Go Patriots!!!

In a quotation with several mistakes it is not necessary to insert "[sic]" for each and every mistake as long as the insert comes before the first part of the quotation but inside the quotes. Example: "[sic] I'm gonna git me some grits but I don't never git me those instant ones."

sic is actually an acronym for a latin phrase, anyone know the phrase? I remember my grade 5 teacher going over this (he was strange, but wonderful) and made sure that not only could we recognize impressionist painters by style, composers by the same quality, but knew enough of this stuff to drive our parents crazy if we so chose. What was really special about him (Alan Graham) was that he did this in an ordinary class in an ordinary school -- shows the potential doesn't it?

"sic" means I am sick without Kay !

This has intrigued me for years, and I would have to say the consensus is (sic) means "thus," because it definitely is Latin. I am a trial court judge, and a lot of time I see horrendous grammatical and spelling mistakes that appear in briefs submitted by lawyers, even though the arguments advanced by the lawyers in those briefs are very sound! So, I can't resist quoting the lawyers' briefs to support my decision, but have to insert (sic) quite often because the lawyers have made so many stupid mistakes!

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought--

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?

Come to my arms, my beamish boy!

O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

[sic]

(hint - "Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll)

:-D

When found in non technical documentation, [sic] stands for "Sans Intention Comique" (without comic intention); meaning that even though the Quoter seeks to highlight an obvious error - he wishes to neither embarrass nor correct the Author.

Please, no more tossing around with this rather obvious acronym. Spread the word and get on with applying some real thought patterns......... Like how do we go about eradicating the world of Dumb Bastards and Tertiary Educated Bludgers.

All those who believe that SIC stands for an acronym such as "Sans Intention Comique" or "Spoken in Context" should be aware that acronyms rarely formed words before such use was begun in World War I and became popular during World War II. In fact, the word "acronym" itself wasn't coined until 1943. There are exceptions, such as OK (c. 1839) and n.g. for "no good"(c. 1838) but they are extremely rare.

There are internet legends floating around that the words "golf" "shit" and "posh" are acronyms. They aren't.

google rocks.

wow..I feel think I have finally found the end of the internet....

Cyberspace....wow.....I am like so freaked out....who are you people? Are you my bretheren & sisteren (sic)?

Hats off to all who came here before me, and to all that come after. Hope y'all have a nice life.

The Northeast rocks! (When it isn't frozen.)

I'm 46 and thrilled to be here! I've used sic for many years, but never knew the origin or the precise definition. Can't say I do now,either, but at least I know I haven't used it incorrectly.

I think.

Well, I've always thought it meant "spelling incorrect". But, I've seen it used in sentences where the spelling was correct, but it was an opinion not in quotations. That implied to me that the writer was using someone else's opinion to enforce the story or try to make it a fact without directly saying it on their own... maybe to avoid direct controversy?

Anyway, I was compelled to know what the actual origin was and came here to this rather amusing thread. I'm quite sure it will continue to carry on as usual because more people will wonder just as I.

Thanks for the info, entertainment and time waster. :) Cheers...

Strang.

1. How come the first few threads don't actually discuss the meaning.

2. How come no one taught any of us this at school.

3. Can this run forever?

I'm soooo glad to know that I'm not the only one who's been wondering what the heck this word mean. We had a guy at the office that would send out Friday humor stories and it is filled with "[sic]" and I never bothered to ask him because I didn't want to look stupid.

But now - thanks to this site, I can't wait to use my first "[sic]" in a letter or email. Thanks guys!!

Wow. If you combined us all, we would be the real life incarnation of "Neo". It was the question that drove us, and all that...

I love it here. The obscurity of the question is a community vetting system in itself. One of the (many) posters above said we should all have lunch:- we should. A big huge beast of a "[sic] convention", on Star Trek scale. Maybe at a hotel. Of course, we wouldn't need to travel abroad, we could just have live webcasts from each hotel broadcast to the others. Little sausages on cocktail sticks might go down well too.

I think we have finally nailed the meaning down... through the heart. I would like to thank everybody... (wait wait - I was going to pretend to be the original poster then, figuring no-one would be bothered to scroll back to the top to check... heh heh).

Perhaps each new post should start with "Hi, i'm 26, from Staffordshire in the UK", or whichever applicable age and location fits.

Is there a www.sic.com .co.uk .org or whatever? If not, I want it. I'll pay cash money for it... although one-hundred ish posts in four years isn't exactly booming business, I think it would constitute a 'select clientelle'.

This is gonna be my homepage from now on.

You're all right...this must be the end of the internet. I'm dreading sending this post but I feel compelled.

BTWa [sic] club would be excellent. Make the link really obscure...like a random post on here...then we'd have no fakers...

After reading these posts I felt compelled to add something - Has anybody thought that it might mean:

[sic] - someone is confused

I feel better now.

Canada rules!

Cheers :)

What a great site. If someone actually posts a helpful reply to the meaning of [sic], I'll never visit it again. And neither will anybody else.

So here's an analogy for this site. If the interenet is one big sprawling monster then this site is the very tip of the monster's tail.

And I like the idea of all contributers meeting. If we do we should have a BBQ! However, we will need hotdogs--I say we kill and use the sprawling monster!

P.s. Kids, don't use crack [sic] when writing your contributions!

Sic is actually a virus written by a Indonesian teenager that infects your pc and formats your harddrive while you are reading this thread. When you close this window, there will be nothing left and you will offically be Screwed In (the) Coochie.

It wouldn be right not to add to this beautiful thread. OH YEAh at least i know what it means

This is the coolest site I have ever seen. It even has Michael Moore fans and Bush-bashers - what site would be complete without them.

Sorry I couldn't think of a witty way to include 'sic' in my post.

For Michael Moore's fans: http://www.davekopel.org/Terror/Fiftysix-Deceits-in-Fahrenheit-911.htm

So very cool. All my life I have wondered what [sic] meant and I cannot believe how many others actually didn't know either and were just as curious as me. I felt kinda stupid trying to find the meaning on the web; it's such a small thing to care about but I can see I'm not alone. This is too funny. But even funnier was how many posts I had to read before I found the answer. :)

I guess I am another one who did not know what sic meant. It must say something about the type of person I am to take 33 years to find out. Anyway, I am glad I know now and if I ever write a book I am going to use it extensively.

Yup, another one who didn't know about (sic) and stumbled across this thread to have only just emerged years later. I guess the obvious question is, if this isn't the longest thread, what was or still is?

whoa - if each of the stupid ass words in the dictionary had a website like this!!! Anyhow, since none of you have been able to figure in 2 years the meaning of sic, I'll let you in on the secret.

SIC is a word from the ancient civilization of Arantola. Arantola once was the secret capital of Napoleon's empire in Europe. The inhabitants there were quite fond of a particularly intoxicating drink that tasted like beer - it was called Seineken. Once inebriated, they would make queer guttural noises that sounded like "SIC". So the word sic came to be understood as something being said by a person in an intoxicated state. When you drink a lot of Heineken, don't you go..."hic". similarly, if you had too much to drink of Seineken, what would you do...atta boy!!

You're welcome :)

HAHAHA I found this site many moons ago and had to come back to see if the thread was still going, I love it =)

LOL - Never in the field of human internet use has one acronym produced such a multi-year discussion. :)

Actually, I'm still none the wiser whether it IS an acronym or an abbreviation :-)

Ba[sic]ally this has to be the best and also the most pointless site ever.

May it reign for years to come!

Long live the [sic] thread!!!

This is a remarkable thread. TKBR0WN is close to the mark with the 'Sic is actually a virus written by a Indonesian teenager...' analysis. However, [sic] is NOT a pc virus, but INSTEAD a wetware [sic] virus whose function it is to reduce wetware efficiency by wasting the wetware's limited lifespan. As evidenced by its longevity, it is becoming quite effective at its intended task, and by about 2021, will become fatal to wetware instance that happens upon the thread and tries to parse its entire length. And on top of it, the virus never quite reveals its nature to the host [sic].

4 years later and I finally find out what [sic] means. Thank the heavens for stupid old threads. Sad to see GWB is still in though.

You have to use [sic] a great deal when you interview rappers and college liberal arts students.

32 from Canada

I cant believe how many people have stumbled across this thread and spent the time reading it and most[sic] not being none the wiser.

Too many smartasses and not enough busy people in this world I guess. Get back to work you lazy asses!!

Well, I too can't beleive I read this whole post. I'm glad the definition I was actually looking for was somewhere in it, although it would be nice if it was the first post instead of that one about barcodes which obviously isn't what we were thinking of. Of course then you might not keep reading in the hopes of finding the alternate definition you really wanted. Then if we were really smart we would have just gone to meriam-webster.com in the first place and just avoided this whole thread in the first place cause sometimes, just sometimes ya[sic] (there I got my requisite [sic] in there) can't google away your problems, at least not efficiently. Sometimes you run into a pointless thread that leaves you wondering why the hell am I reading this. Why are you still reading this anyway? You already found the definition like ten posts ago. Oh yeah, fyi: I'm 26 and while I've come across [sic] on several occasions I finally decidered to figure out what the hell it means while reading some comments about The Outlaw Josey Wales on imdb.com, specifically "At the end of the movie, when he saw Wales had given up his ways of Death [sic Ten Bears] he knew he could let Wales live in peace and leave the war behind himself." Which, I beleive I've already seen but I'll have to watch it again cause it sounds pretty damn good.

O.K... I'll bite... I too was looking for the definition of [sic]. So here I am, half an hour later posting on a site that I will probably never visit again. Never-the-less, I found the thread a stimulating read and found myself smiling and even audibly laughing. Thanks.

[sic] = sites increasing confusion

You should change thing to link to the comment explaining the meaning as being "Spoken in Context".

Nice to see this page is still getting hits. I periodically check back, after finding it about six months ago. Now that I have a website, i'm going to make a [sic] page. Not right now though, as i'm slightly innebriated. Post again soon ; )

I made a doodie in my pants. The smell is making me [sic].

Great site! I didn't take the time to read the entire thread, but I think I now know what "sic" means. My question now is thus: What is the proper punctuation? I usually see it in parenthesis (sic), but I have seen it in quotes "sic"? Which is correct?

[sic] it should be in brackets!

things are gonna change i can feel it

sic is a common word among snowboarders with the same meaning as "awesome" or "rad." For instance, if my buddy just pulled a huge method air and i might exclaim, "Dude, that was fuckin siiiiiiic!!!"

There doesn't seem to be any reference here to it's use to highlight an intended pun. This kind of sloppiness makes me sick. (sic)

you guys should get your dicks out and use them instead of talking about sic - whatever this crap is!

just read most of this post. if you click on the "what does sic mean" at the top of the page it will take you to the definition

Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

sic

8 entries found for sic.

To select an entry, click on it.

sic[1]sic[2,transitive verb]sic[3,adverb]sic passimet sic de similibussic itur ad astrasic semper tyrannissic transit gloria mundi

Main Entry: 3sic

Pronunciation: 'sik, 'sEk

Function: adverb

Etymology: Latin, so, thus -- more at SO

: intentionally so written -- used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it is intended exactly as printed or to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original

I had to read an english log of four years to learn the meaning of [sic]! I just can't believe[sic] it!

I'm 18, and a little relieved I checked the meaning of [sic] while I can still use it to piss off teachers. I've actually seen it in many places and never clued in. Thankfully nobody else did either.

I also managed to hit two birds with one stone, making this 40-someodd minutes a tiny bit more productive, and finally learned the real meaning of et al also. I'm taking a philosophy course and they seem to LOVE throwing in words from other languages. Just to throw bait to the wolves who are brave (or bored) enough to read down this far: what does "prima facie" mean? Context: "I have argued that four intrinsic properties of organisms...establish a prima facie scale of moral status." My guess would be "temporary", but that's probably wrong. I was thinking of looking it up until I realized what looking up [sic] got me into.

Just to tie it all back: intrin[sic].

Suck my cunt

this is really very cool. i work in a high school, im reading some academic [shit] and i try to learn what [sic] means only to find that nobody actually knows, leading me to further my belief in the relativity of truth, and the beauty of the universe, and the sad state of our country, and the excitement of possibility, and the reality of change, and the humor of Dick Long's previous comment, and the fact that someone will read this and hopefully take it somewhere completely different, like their relationship with their neighbor's dog, or the possibility that everybody sees color differently, or the new fandangled hipness of track bikes and fixed gears all over our urban areas, or the intellectual debate around the correct usage of ironic...

what does ironic really mean anyway, man? it's just like, totally, ironic that i can even think that way, right? god, postmodernity is the thick soup we all slurp in the waking hours of our collective apocolypse...

candy canes are totally sweet.

This thread is unbelievable. I am 21 years old and finally wanted to know the meaning of [sic]. I didn't realize this was such a widespread problem......

(SIC)= Spelling In Correct(sic)

I think it’s pretty funny that people keep adding more definitions of [sic], even though there are about thirty of them in the post already. Get over it. Everybody’s got their own opinions of where it came from (Spelled InCorrectly, Spoken In Context, Latin for “thus”), and who really cares?? If you know how to use it (which everyone should by this point) it doesn’t really matter what it "means."

Dear Scrudmuffin......

you stink.

the end.

Merry Sicmas!!

[sic]'In Correct' is one word dummass

You go Scrudmuffin!

Why am I even posting? [sic] has been defined and explained so many times that to do so again would be futile. So I'll just say this, next time you want to know what something means, dictionary.com is great. Don't get me wrong, this site is great too, but dictionary.com is quick and easy. (no affiliation)

Phil

P.S. If you are in love with someone, and you don't know if he/she feels the same way, find out, NOW. Regret gets harder to live with every year. Well, it does for me anyway.

If I was to print all these pages out from start to finish, I would need 36 pages of valuable forrest consuming paper,and probably a new ink cartridge !! And as I'm a Yorkshireman, I will have to refrain from such a task. Anyway it's just taken me nearly a couple of hours to get down to this spot, but I think it's been worth it. I can now baffle my friends with knowledge that I am 100% certain they won't have a clue about. Well I have had a good laugh, keep up the gud [sic] work !!??!! CU.

sic1 ( P ) Pronunciation Key (sk)

adv.

Thus; so. Used to indicate that a quoted passage, especially one containing an error or unconventional spelling, has been retained in its original form or written intentionally.

I feel like im signing the visitors log in the rangers station at a national park.

Can I draw graffiti in your bathroom as well ?

~R

UT-Knox

Well, I had nothing more to do, and I really wondered about what [sic] means, so I ended up here. As I see already a tradition in it, I ended up posting here too. Thanks a lot for explaining what [sic] means, and for amusing me for the last few minutes.

Believe it or not. I was just sitting around with my best friend drinking a few beers wondering what the meaning of [sic] was. Didn't know if my attempt to use it for the first time in my life was appropriate. After reading all this shit and laughing my ass off, I don't really care.

Believe it or not. I was just sitting around with my best friend drinking a few beers wondering what the meaning of [sic] was. Didn't know if the way I intended to use it for the first time in my life was appropriate. After reading all this shit and laughing my ass off, I don't really care.

I am a teacher. I sent an email with a joke spelling mistake in it and then put (sic) after the mistake. I panicked in case I had used it wrong. I checked the web. I found this site. I wasted bloody ages reading it. I found out that I was correct in my usage. I always remembered it as Spelling is Correct. 2 years of posts! We are a sad species.

Am I at the end of the internet? So this is where all queries about [sic] in the world end up. Imagine how many times a court dictator has to use sic to transcribe some dumbass on the stand, HA! Well, I'm 30 and living in Huntsville,AL USA. 30 seems to be roughly the age that people get sick of wondering abowt[sic]. Since I invested 40 minutes of my life reading what all you had to say, I felt like I was allowed to write a bit. May this thread make someone richer, someone older, and someone smarter. And remember, 5 year old threads ROCK!

(may you all burn in hell for reading every fucking word of this thread) ;)

I think this is how myspace started.

This site is an anomaly. Does anybody really know what [sic] means? Who's the final authority on this?

The {sic} police are the final authority.

They know everthing, they are everywhere, they see all.

Never doubt them..

[sic]

You know... there's also the slang word sic. It's used like that's a sic ride man! I means cool among other uses. See UrbanDictionary.com.

[Sic] could also mean Spelling Intentionally Corrupted. Does that work? I just used it in an e-mail when I reffered to an "Ossifer of the law [sic]" to my friend concerning his DUI arrest. HeHe, [Sick] [sic].

Spelling Is Crap

I fucking hate spelling. Probaly cuz I am crap at it !

I was thinking of killing myself untill i realised i couldnt die without knowing the meaning of [SIC]. So i typed it into google and this was the top result. I have now found new meaning in life and I will not jump out my 15th floor aprtment window. But my Spelling Is still Crap

I am in the middle of writing a paper and wanted to see if it was appopriate to use a sic quote. I googled "[sic] sic quite" and stumbled unto this website. In spite of the fact that mispelled a word, the internet gods read my mind and directed me here. After reading most of the thread, I can't read all of it I have a paper to finish, I realized that I can't use a sic quote in my paper...Thanks internet! Now I am going on my space to look for hot chicks.

this place is awesome

i felt like posting 1/3 of the way through, but i had to read them

all

i came here because of "We decided to make a picture as though there was a [sic] Hyborian world".

i have hated [sic] every time i have seen it during my life, the anger

finally made me search for an answer.

p.s. regret what you have done, not what you haven't

pspspsps i am 26 and a waster!

Hey all-

Thanks for adding some levity to my standardized test stupor. The only thing harder than taking the damn things is proctoring (sic) them!

A High School Teacher (pity me)

I only came here after listening to a friend's advice (some friend!). All you people had to do was pick up a dictionary. In Australia, where we have good ole [sic] English dictionary's, "sic" means "thus" in Latin. Ignore all comments from the U.S. posters - they've bastardized [sic] the English language :-)

Yes, but if we just picked up a dictionary, none of us would have found that good excuse to completely waste a couple hours of our time. I came back, because I can't sleep, and trying to find anything that will put me to sleep. I think I've accomplished that.

And I can't believe I found good advice about love on here. Sad...

I dunno about all that stuff up there but (sic) as in the name of the Slipknot song is a refernce to a letter written by David Berkowitz a.k.a. Son of Sam to the authorities in which he repeatedly wrote (sic) after some of his comments.

Hehehe. [sic] is the intellectual elitist's way of saying "hahaha, you dumbass little fucker, you don't know how to spell!"

Really, I've noticed that it appears more often when the quoting author is quoting someone he/she despises.

Very interesting.

My new favorite t-shirt reads, "Bad grammar makes me [sic]."

I found that t-shirt:

http://www.onehorseshy.com/highbrow/bad_grammar_makes_me_sic/

Thanks so much for the entertaining reading and for finally answering my question on the meaning of [sic]. I had seen this in the newspaper and no one ever knew. I even called the newspaper itself and asked them. They didn't have a clue! I was surprised to see how many people are unable to spell correctly, doesn't anyone use their spell checker? I guess now we know why [sic] was invented in the first place.

i know the meaning of sic. but i won't tell. bcoz i'm sic(k).

Just wanted to know what (sic) meant but ended up laughing so hard at some of the comments. We should all get together and have lunch

WOW... im definatly glad that searched (SIC) today... LOL

HOLY SHIT

I cant believe this thread is still going!!!

Long live the (sic)ness of all you internet freaks

I am 40 and have wondered for years what (sic) meant. Possibly "Spelling Intentionally Corrupted"? But no, that didn't make sense. Neith did Spelling Intentionally Corrected. I was about to take a self-imposed dirt-nap at the level of frustration. Then, I thought, why not ask online and see if I'm freakishly alone. Now that I've seen this freakishly-long thread, I can say this, "Goodbye Crule (sic) World".

this is simply one of the coolest things I've seen in a really long time...and funniest.

internet rules

It could be like a time capsule! lets see...

Today

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The widows of two combat veterans sued the government Monday for not allowing Wiccan symbols on their husbands' military headstones.

--

The long-awaited new James Bond movie will premiere in London tonight, with the Queen due to be among those watching actor Daniel Craig make his debut as the suave secret agent.

--

MONDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) - Steaks, hamburgers and other red meat could raise younger women's risk for an estrogen-linked form of breast cancer, researchers report.

--

Reports: Britney Spears Sex Tape Real, Fed-ex To Sell It

Playfuls.com - 20 hours ago

by Ion C. The British tabloid News of the World reported Federline is shopping around an explicit video of his antics with his wife on their honeymoon.

--

I just went to wal-greens and bought two of those little canisters of "five hour energy" drink and I'm writing a lab report for cell biology (prof bell). A small liberal arts school in AR is currently balling the hell out of my sleep schedule and I feel sick.

"smoke weed 'er[sic] day"

props internet

I find it extremely sad that this thread alive after December 15, 2001, and all bothered to repeat the meaning of [sic] numerous times. That's the sadder part, but I guess I'm contributing to the problem by replying to this thread. Nonetheless, to be redundant, [sic] just means spoken in context.

E.g.

You're interviewing someone, and the pronounce "Sandra Bullock" "Sandra Bullack."

In the paper, let it appear:

"Sandra Bullack [sic]"

Oh, and [sic] is an acronym. What the letters stand for is what it means... =P

Oh! And et al., to be redundant again, is used many times when citing sources like textbooks, etc. for a MLA Reference page. Like if there are 100 authors, then you'd just put

Doe, John et al.

That way people can look for the first name if they check your cited sources and you don't have to spend an hour writing down these people's names.

Yay for explanations

What MOOF said....

I would brag about having the first post in 2007 on a six year old thread, but that would just be so wrong [tic].

Ahh, now I get it. Thanks MOOF!!! :)

[sic] - While I am unaware of any Latin (or otherwise) meaning, I can say this. It is used to signify that a misspelled word in a quote is in fact quoted properly, mistakes and all. An easy way to remember this is by the acronym Spelling Is Correct (sic). For example: Trump responded, "Rosie is a looser [sic]." Hope this helps.

There will be a meeting in the telephone booth at Reading station on 20 February 2007 at 18h00 for all participants in this thread who really care what sic stands for. Bring your own notebooks and pencils.

Well I guess I was the only one at the telephone booth at Reading station.

Wow, I googled myself and this thread came up. I cant believe this thing is still going. I first posted over 2 years ago.

funny stuff. i read half these posts so far and i got up to the post thats responsible for this search result. thanks Dev! btw google[sucks] sic ask.com got me here

...this is indeed a long, long thread. Thanks for the info... I, like many other curious monkeys,... finally tired of their own ignorance googled "what is [sic]" after reading this post on www.crooksandliers.com

...In 1999, as the nation was still coming to grips with the tragedy at Columbine High School, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) took to the floor to identify what he saw as the real culprit: science classes. “Our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who are evolutionized [sic] out of some primordial soup,” DeLay said. Young people learn modern biology, DeLay said, which in turn makes them feel insignificant, which in turn leads to violence...

This has been a rough week. I live right outside Blacksburg, VA (VA Tech). This site cheered me up a bit after wallowing in a dark, unevolutionized [sic] place, Thanks.

This is hilarious! I've been seeing [sic] for years in newspapers and legal case sites and knew, by the context it was used what it meant, but finally decided to ask jeeves what the correct definition was. I never expected to be so entertained, but then I'm easily amused. Ryan quoted, "An easy way to remember this is by the acronym Spelling Is Correct (sic). For example: Trump responded, "Rosie is a looser [sic]." Either way, Trump's right!!!

Thanks all, for the chuckle!!

"Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinion, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation." Oscar Wilde....Now ponder that after you have read all these posts and the variances contained herein; on a simple question where one has seeked an answer. This thread has it all, love, hate, ignorance, compassion, intolerance, a spirit of helpfulness.....but mostly entertainment!......nice slice of today's society....

Friday may 11th 1:30am 2007.

ok this thread been from dec 15 2001.

just because"what does (sic) mean.

well yeah thats nice to see what everyones opinion was.

why am i even posting this?

I used to be a big fan of PC Format... until this evening when I saw that term [sic] again and realised I had absolutely no idea what it meant! So I decided to Google it and found this thread.... some 45 minutes later I thought I'd add my piece to this mammoth thread!

So [sic] actually means 'Spelling Is Correct' then, yes?!

Please let me know if I read it wrong!!

I was asked what this meant by a guy from work and had to read this whole forum, granted I know what it means now but I still want my time back.

As 'Cal' said, this thread started when the internet was cool. And he should know as he used to work for the ATO.

Looking forward to checking this site in 2012....

In certain areas in New Zealand SIC means 'Standard Issue Clothing' referring to the 'Standard Issue' Canterbury brand rugby shorts worn by many of the locals.

I think it means that Tilly is a SIC c*nt or else he is Gay....

Hey Guys!

Funny... you use this thread as well???

do i know this "Cal" character you make reference too?

And the latest example.....(not that further proof was required Britney is an idiot)

"I apologize to the pap for a stunt that was done 4 months ago regarding an umbrella," Spears said in a statement posted Wednesday on her Web site. "I was preparing my character for a roll (sic) in a movie where the husband never plays his part so they switch places accidentally. I take all my rolls very seriously and got a little carried away. Unfortunately I didn't get the part."

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/07/06/spears.apology.ap/index.html

Paul, that little blurb from Britney is what finally drove me to Google the question "What does sic mean?". Great minds despair alike, eh?

I had (sic) figured out long ago by its contextual usage, but thanks to all who explained its origin.

The end is near my [sic] underlings. Repent, repent for all of your misspelled words. Fishsticks are better when overcooked a bit.

Look at how long this thread has been educating people. Astounding isn't it. Not being afraid to ask a question. What is most disturbing is how few actually read all of the threads (indicitive of their response). Without the autonomy of the internet, who would we have asked?

Damn, this is nothing to do with the term "Sic 'Im" that I was googling.

Well I have nothing to add to this thread, but along with so many other people, after reading the whole thing I really feel I should continue it, especially because the number of new posts seems to be diminishing!

I can't believe I read it too late for the meet up in Reading! I'll be sure to check it again in a couple of years and see what's going on!!!

Still going strong in January 2008!!

Thanks for the answer and the laughs!!

This thread just keeps on going, I didn't manage to read the whole thing but I got what I needed.

Well thanks everyone for the answer to the question, now I know I will be able to write my essay :)

Today is June 17, 2008. I was curious about [sic] and did a Yahoo search. Guess what. This thread is still going. I got my answer but far be it from me to stop the thread. Who knew this would last this long....

This is the greatest thread ever... hope they never take it down!

I still don't understand what the frig (sic) means?????

So Krippy. As I understand the intellects here. In a nutshell... You'll type [sic] after a mispelled word, when quoting. That way the original author retains his moron status and you come out looking like a snob, err... I mean the intelligent juan!

sic = latin for "thus"

sicut = latin for "as is"

I just remember it as 'Spelling Isn't Change' "

I was hoping. I only hope. But now its lost. Everyone is backwards, everyone is sucks. One simple definition would suffice. 6 billion people. Why is everyone so lonely, why is everyone (sic)?

LOL, I typed in WTF DOES SIC MEAN? and this was still the first result. This question has been torturing me for the past ten years, THANK YOU SO.

Time goes by so quickly. Can anyone provide a link to the longest thread on the internet? That would be interesting.

Also, I found this site through www.bing.com, microsoft's new search engine. Google is not longer the only place to go. Ack! The world is changing so fast.