I hate "quotes"

[sagehen]

 The uncalled-for quotes often have the slightly comic effect of  disowning
a word, even of its being gingerly dangled with one hand while the other is
holding the writer's nose.
[As for "rules," I suppose you pays yer money & takes yer choice:
Bernstein, Chicago Manual, Strunk & White.  Probably they all say more or
less the same thing which is what you suspected all along.]
AM