Sic

For other uses, see SIC.

Sbracket]]s — [sic] — to indicate that an incorrect or unusual spelling, phrase, or other preceding quoted material is a verbatim reproduction of the quoted original and is not a transcription error.

This may be used either to show that an uncommon or archaic usage is reported faithfully (for instance, quoting the U.S. Constitution, "The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker...") or to highlight an error, often for the purpose of ridicule or irony (for instance, "Dan Quayle famously changed a student's spelling to 'potatoe' [sic]"), or otherwise, to quote accurately whilst maintaining the reputation of the person or organisation quoting its source.

In folk etymology, "sic" is sometimes erroneously thought to be an abbreviation of "spelling is correct", "same in copy", "spelled incorrectly", "spelling incompetent", "said in context", "stupid in context", "stand incorrect", "spelling intentionally changed", or "sans intent comique", to cite but a few backronyms.

See also

• Sic semper tyrannis
• Sic transit gloria mundi
• List of Latin phrases