'Quotes'

Traditionally, when one wishes in print to indicate that something is a quote, one will put double quote marks around it, "like so."  If there is a quote within the quote, it will be indicated by single quotes, 'thusly.'  At least if you are an American.  If you are British, the tradition is reversed: to wit, the single quotes go on the outside, and the double quotes on the inside-- 'I asked her what she wanted for breakfast,' I said, 'and she replied, "Why, smoked kippers, of course!" '  This is not a complete hard and fast rule these days-- the double quote is gaining international prominence.  But generally, and historically, there is a definite tendency.

I knew this, of course.  I read a lot of fiction by British authors, and much of it is not re-edited for Americanized punctuation.  But there is a logical result that I hadn't expected.  When an American speaker wishes to indicate that he or she is relating a quote, he (or she) will use the ISL sign for bunny ears, or "air quotes."  A British speaker, on the other hand(s), will follow the appropriate tradition, and just use a single finger from each hand to indicate the quote marks.

It makes perfect sense, but I completely failed to predict it in any way, shape, or form.  I saw some old British guy do it on a TV show, and thought to myself (in British), 'Hah!  Of course!'