Since it looks like my question here might be taking the discussion away from that thread, I thought I'd try to head off a derail at the pass.
Plus; I can see a lot of people chiming in on this subject.

Basically; It started with [sic] being used on UK spelling. I am curious if there were any tried and true guidelines to [sic] usage.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

For one thing, the purpose of [sic] is to let the reader know that it wasn't your mistake but was in the original text.

When you're quoting on an internet bulletin board, it's generally presumed you're cutting and pasting, anyway. I don't think I'd be tempted to use [sic] at all around here...

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SeanF

"Ask to understand, but don't challenge unless you have the knowledge."--NEOWatcher

The contents of this post are ©2009 by SeanF and may not be copied or retransmitted in any form without the express written consent of SeanF

My thoughts too, but my unsuredness kept me from attempting to go that far.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

It just means "thus", and it's deployed to draw attention to any usages or spellings in quoted text which the person doing the quoting finds unusual: it can be a non-standard turn of phrase, a mistake in spelling or grammar, or anything else that the quoter wants to flag as a genuine part of the original text, and not something arising from misquotation.
I suppose one could use it when quoting a body of text with different spelling conventions from one's own text, but it's not customary, since reader and writer are expected to understand what's going on; likewise with archaic spelling. In fact, by adding "[sic]" in such circumstances, you run the risk of suggesting to readers that you just don't understand that what you've marked is acceptable and standard spelling.

Grant Hutchison

so am i reading this right grant, that there would be no issues with the usage of [sic] if the person who is quoting a poster finds an unusual spelling (proper English or otherwise), wrong spelling, or to highlight an error like if the poster used the word "tokillya" in place of "tequila".

I would guess that that the usage is nothing more than an indication that the quoted material has been reproduced verbatim from the quoted source and is not an error in transcription.

is this sort of right?

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-work in progress--

Sic is another form [probably an abbreviation] of 'sicut' [e.g. sicut erat in principio- 'as it was in the beginning'].

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What brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart

That's right. It's a way of saying to the reader: "I'm aware you may be puzzled by this, but I've checked it, and that's how it is in the original". As others have pointed it out, it's a little superfluous if you're using an electronic quote function that links back to the original.

Some folk use it as a weapon, to highlight the errors of others or to show off their own erudition. It's a two-edged sword, however. I've just read a piece of journalism that quoted (from a politician's memoires), "his just deserts [sic]". Oops. The journalist is mistaken if she thinks that's mistaken or unusual.

Just plain sic is good, unabbreviated Latin for "thus" (as in sic transit gloria mundi, for instance).

Grant Hutchison

I didn't know Gloria was sick...

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SeanF

"Ask to understand, but don't challenge unless you have the knowledge."--NEOWatcher

The contents of this post are ©2009 by SeanF and may not be copied or retransmitted in any form without the express written consent of SeanF

She threw up on the bus.

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

I hope she felt better Tuesdi.

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SeanF

"Ask to understand, but don't challenge unless you have the knowledge."--NEOWatcher

The contents of this post are ©2009 by SeanF and may not be copied or retransmitted in any form without the express written consent of SeanF

Or that she was traveling around the world.

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What brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart

Grant Hutchison

We3 could agree that´s an abbreviation and be done with that.

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What brings us together is stronger than what pulls us apart

Not sure what you mean.

Grant Hutchison

i remember well...i was sic in transit one glorias monday, on my first ever flight, as a child. oh that brown bag! i thought i was rather proud of that feat!

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

sure. she married Soloman Grundi, by wednesdi, gloria did.
(on the bus, too!...just like Ben and Elaine in The Graduate)

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

Hey; something I can gloat about... I drove that actual bus. Our university bought it from the studio decades ago.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

It is easy to be under the impression that "sic" means "error", but it only means, "I didn't make an error copying this part--now the printer who gets this after me is a different story...."

An example usage that is not pointing to an error but is still useful:

On Avalon, they fished for samlon [sic].

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Todd (Bowie, MD, US, North America, Earth, Sol System, Vega region, Local Bubble, Orion arm, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo A Cluster, Virgo supercluster, the universe in which spock is clean shaven)

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur.

personal page: http://blog.astrosketches.info

b....limey td, saucy, eh?
It was Samlon [sic] Gurndi, afterall?!....

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

Isn't the original question just whether it's appropriate to use "sic" to point out UK spelling? I'd say it's not a good idea; just makes it sound like you've never heard of that spelling.

I, for one, routinely fix errors made by people I'm quoting on BAUT, especially to star out swear words.

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I don't care which rocket you use, whichever one you pick, I'll like it, I swear.
"If you think the LHC will create black holes, you might as well believe Hobbits are at the bottom of your garden."- Dr. Mike Inglis
Rovers forever! - ToSeek

Not really. It was only a starting point...
It's been an interesting discussion. Carry on.

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Numbers are not case sensitive. (me)

MAPNUT, I would imagine that your reference to the word sic's usage is exclusive to UK or English english, may be mistaken.
Its usage predates its use in the english language.

old as the hills.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sic

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

Mahesh, I think you've misread MAPNUT's post. MAPNUT was pointing out that when an American writer marks British English spellings with "[sic]", readers are likely to assume that the writer is ignorant of standard British spelling.
The same thing is liable to happen if a British writer marks up US English spellings.

Grant Hutchison

Rereading slowly, MAP..'s post, you are right Grant. Sorry MAPs...
Ok, but there again, it shouldn't be UK...could be referring to any unusually spelt english word/s from any source. Should it?

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

British English spellings being flagged with "[sic]" was the specific scenario mentioned in the OP. The point being that British English spelling isn't unusual! It's a standard that is pretty well-known to most Americans. So for an American writer to flag it with a "[sic]" can suggest to readers that the author is simply ignorant of common British usage. MAPNUT was pointing out that danger.

It's a general rule, really. Before you deploy "[sic]", you need to be sure that there is indeed something unusual there, worthy of comment. Otherwise you can end up just looking dumb, like my journalist with her "just deserts [sic]".

Grant Hutchison

I get it. I am not much exposed to regular, everyday, heavy American reportage, to appreciate/get alarmed about frequent use of sic. Pardon me.

yes, i appreciate.... "just deserts [sic]"., that is funny.
But it happens in the UK too. Careless Miss Spellings. Deserving of a bucket of flours

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clear skies

If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. CARL SAGAN

Mak: Pass the pepperoni please.
Fazor: "Hail, Bautainia! We pledge our hearts to thee! Science and woo, some babbling too, and astron-oh-meee!"
slang: And it made ash out of yew and tree.

I have been tempted to quote texts where authors inserted a [sic] in an ignorant way thus:

It's especially funny when you can infer from the context that the author thought it was a way to indicate that a certain remark or thought was sick, as in disgusting, or when some similar misunderstanding is evident. Just so it was obvious that it was not I that inserted the first [sic]...

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"Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge" -- Charles Darwin
"Your right to hold an opinion is not being contested. Your expectation that it be taken seriously is." -- Jason Thompson
Meet the OOONG TOE.

British spelling is easy: add a 'u' here, reverse an 'er' there...

Nowadays, sic seems to mean 'yeah', or 'sure'.

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If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers.

Let me guess: on an omnibus.

sic and sicut are different. Sic means "thus" or "so!" while sicut means "as" in a comparison.

erat in principio sic: "that's what it was like in the beginning" (poor Latin)

sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper et in saecula saeculorum: "as it was in the beginning, is now and ever will be, in all eternity"

As stated above, [sic] can be used in citing sources containing typos, which one wants to quote verbatim, pointing out that the error is in the original. Also as stated above, it can be used in quotes which use an unusual form of a word, which might otherwise be seen as a mistake or you yourself are using an unaccustomed word/spelling/phrase and want to express "leave it that way, that's what I want. It should be used with restraint. Usually putting a single phrase in quotations (e.g.: he said it was "fablilously") or using a footnote will do.

As for using [sic] on the internet, a braindead admin I know (from another forum) uses phrases like "it's bigger and more greater." A [sic] after "more greater" would fit there very well.

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