Use Mention

The use-mention distinction is the distinction between foo and "foo". When I say "His name is Bill" I am mentioning, not using, the name "Bill", despite the absence of quotation marks. When I say "Bill, can I talk to you for a minute?", I am using the name "Bill".

"Playing with the use-mention distinction" isn't "everything in life, you know". -- DouglasHofstadter