What does “sic” stand for?

KI-Media team would like to thank Lok Wattanak K. for raising this issue and for providing his correct input on this subject.

If you ever read King-Father’s writings in French, you will quickly note that his articles are peppered with the word “(sic!)”. As KI-Media also uses this word, some of our readers have wondered about the meaning of this word.

provides the following explanation for this word:

Sic – generally inside square brackets, [sic], and sometimes round ones, (sic) – when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates that the passage is just as it appears from its original source. The usual purpose is to inform readers that any errors or apparent errors in the copied material are not from transcription – i.e. that they are reproduced exactly from the original writer or printer. Bracketed sics have also been used in humorous comments and for ridicule, typically by drawing attention to the original writer's mistakes.

Though occasionally misidentified as an abbreviation, sic is an English-language adverb (also a noun and verb) that has its origins in Latin.

Conventional usage

Sic, in its bracketed form, is most often inserted into quoted or reprinted material in order to indicate accuracy in reproducing the preceding text despite appearances to the reader of an incorrect or unusual orthography (spelling, punctuation, etc.), grammar, fact, or logic. Several usage guides recommend that a bracketed sic be used primarily as an aid to the reader, and not as an indicator of disagreement with the source.

For example, a sic may show that an uncommon or archaic usage is reported faithfully, such as when quoting the U.S. Constitution: "The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker..." However, various writing guidebooks discourage its use with regard to dialect such as exemplified in American and British English spelling differences. For instance, the appearance of a bracketed sic after the word analyses on a book cover led Bryan A. Garner to comment, "... all the quoter (or overzealous editor) demonstrated was ignorance of British usage."

Additionally, siccing when no orthographic or grammatical irregularities are apparent may indicate instead a factual or logical error, which has been done, for example, with various notable Bushisms—or slips of the tongue by former U.S. President George W. Bush.

Other usage in French

In French, “sic” is often used to mock something, or to underscore a weak point in an argument presented by someone, or to introduce irony. The correct translation of sic under this context would be: “sigh!”, “really?”, or “surprise, surprise”. Nevertheless, out of habit, some still stick to the French meaning of the word sic rather than translating it properly into English. It is usually under this context that the KI-Media team uses the word sic. So now, you no [sic] how lazy some of us are!