diff --git a/buttercup.el b/buttercup.el
index 9a621cb..20c6a30 100644
--- a/buttercup.el
+++ b/buttercup.el
@@ -678,10 +678,10 @@ UNEVALUATED-EXPR if it did not raise any signal."
          ;; buttercup--simple-format for formatting as format-spec
          ;; does not support functions until Emacs 29
          (spec (format-spec-make
-                ?E (format "%S" unevaluated-expr)
-                ?e (lambda () (format "%S" expr-value))
+                ?E (format "`%S'" unevaluated-expr)
+                ?e (lambda () (format "`%S'" expr-value))
                 ?t (lambda () (format "%S" thrown-signal))
-                ?S (lambda () (format "%S" thrown-signal-symbol))
+                ?S (lambda () (format "`%S'" thrown-signal-symbol))
                 ?A (lambda ()
                      (if expected-signal-args
                          (format " with args `%S'" thrown-signal-args)
@@ -697,22 +697,22 @@ UNEVALUATED-EXPR if it did not raise any signal."
       (cond
        (matched ;; should be the most likely result
         `(t . ,(buttercup--simple-format
-                spec "Expected `%E' not to throw %s%a, but it threw `%S'%A")))
+                spec "Expected %E not to throw %s%a, but it threw %S%A")))
        ((null thrown-signal) ; no signal raised
         `(nil . ,(buttercup--simple-format
-                  spec "Expected `%E' to throw %s%a, but instead it returned `%e'")))
+                  spec "Expected %E to throw %s%a, but instead it returned %e")))
        ((and explained-signal-args (not matching-signal-symbol)) ; neither symbol nor args matched
         `(nil . ,(buttercup--simple-format
                   spec
-                  "Expected `%E' to throw %s%a, but instead it threw `%S'%A")))
+                  "Expected %E to throw %s%a, but instead it threw %S%A")))
        (explained-signal-args ; symbol matched
         `(nil . ,(buttercup--simple-format
                   spec
-                  "Expected `%E' to throw %s, but the args %q")))
+                  "Expected %E to throw %s, but the args %q")))
        ((not matching-signal-symbol) ; args matched
         `(nil . ,(buttercup--simple-format
                   spec
-                  "Expected `%E' to throw %s%a, but instead it threw `%S'%A")))
+                  "Expected %E to throw %s%a, but instead it threw %S%A")))
        (t `(nil . "Some next level shit"))))))
 
 (buttercup-define-matcher :to-have-been-called (spy)