[OS X TeX] Algorithmic Quotes

[Alex]

Please bear with me. I'm a noob who's only now installing and trying to 
learn LaTeX.

There's something that bugs me (other than the PTSD caused by 
installing TeX, that is). It's a small point, but a huge annoyance 
AFAIC -- the lack of algorithmic quotation marks.

I understand I have to adapt my habits, and usually I have no problem 
doing so. However, in this instance I find it extremely annoying 
because it's so obviously wrong: two single quotes do not a double 
quote make; an accent grave is an accent grave, and a single quote is a 
single quote, and never the twain shall meet!

I find it strange that, in this day and age, I have to handle such 
typographical minutiae myself, when I'm supposed to concentrate on 
content and structure and let LaTeX do the typesetting. (I am aware of 
the issue of ambiguity; but that's what the silicon is supposed to 
handle, rather than the precious few neurons I've left...)

So far, I've found two options: either use the \lq and \rq (or define 
my own command, because \lq\lq for " is a bit of a mouthful); or use an 
input encoding package. Obviously, both are less than satisfactory. Is 
there a way to have the much-vaunted LaTeX do what the much-maligned 
Word does dexterously?

thanx

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