Why you ask?

[Flask]

Recently, I was amused by a mispunctuated sentence (or what I take to be a mispunctuated sentence) on an otherwise well-written sign at a gelato place where my wife and I had gone for dessert. A picture of the sign appears at the bottom of this post. The sentence in question is the middle one of the following three:

We use traditional Pozetti cabinets for storage and service, unlike the glass displays that you might be used to. Why you ask? Although you can't see our delicious flavors or beautiful colors, the Pozetti is undeniably the best way to serve our gelato.

The sentence Why you ask? makes sense there, but not as it is punctuated, in my opinion. As punctuated, Why you ask? seems to be an ESL way of saying Why do you ask? That is, it looks as if the writer didn't realize that an auxiliary verb was needed to form the question! But how should the sentence be punctuated? I've come up with a few possibilities:

1) "Why?" you ask.
2) Why, you ask?
3) "Why?" you ask?

Currently, I'm inclining toward (3), but dislike how heavy the punctuation is in it. As I see things, the problem with (1) is that it means the assertion You ask, "Why?"; the problem with (2) is that it means the elliptical Do you ask why? It's the meaning of (3) that I think is called for: Do you ask, "Why?" Of course, the auxiliary verb still isn't used, but its omission seems somehow more defensible.

What do you think?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm inclined towards "Why?", you ask. I know that's none of your suggestions! I'd assume the writer was suggesting that the reader will definitely be asking "Why?" at this point so I wouldn't frame the whole thing as a question.

 

[PeterCW]

If I encountered that in a submission to the magazine I would have used the first option.

 

[jutfrank]

Definitely #1. It's not a question, it's an assertion—to show the reader that the writer understands that the reader is now asking a question. Like emsr2d2, I think it's better with the comma to show the natural pause.

It does not mean 'Why do you ask?', it means 'You're asking why'. These have very different senses. It's not an enquiry into the reason for questioning, but rather an understanding that there is a questioning.