You'll get a massive flood of superior explanations and repetition following this but in Lehmans terms :- well that is exactly what was said.
It is usually used to indicate something, the word or spelling, is not quite right or odd. Jocking (sic) as opposed to Joking. Speed_Triple used it to indicate that the original mistake was yours and not his.
It is Latin: sic erat scriptum in full. "thus was it written". It's inserted immediately after a quoted word, usually to make clear that an error was in the original and is not the writers'. Newspapers use it when quoting illiterate texts and emails.
I didn't. Just making the point on behalf of those who do. That's the trouble with me, I almost never take offence so I'm constantly surprised when others do, mostly totally without foundation. I take the Lenny Bruce line. They're only effin' words ... But even so, there have to be limits.
Or to quote from Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (the book is better than the film, and the film is quite good for a romcom), "One of the benefits of autism is that it is difficult to take offence"
Said by one of the leading hands on the forum of ironic or veiled insults. Praise indeed. Well done John V
Current news from the UK An Asian man was attacked today by a white man carrying a hammer and a large knife in a supermarket this afternoon. Witness's have reported that the attacker was in his mid 20's and shouting white supremacist slogans. Police arrived quickly at the supermarket and arrested the man identified as the attacker. The victim received major but not life threatening injuries. The store will remain closed until tomorrow - to prevent further unrest (???????)
