Cato's Grammar Grumble

Started by Cato, February 08, 2009, 05:00:18 PM

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Cato

Quote from: Joe Barron on March 09, 2010, 05:30:09 PM
But I undertand the original title of War and Peace was War---What Is It Good For?

Wocka Wocka!   ;D

Which opens up all kinds of possibilities for sequels as well:
"War and Peace and Love and Dope" - The '60's version.

Maybe the lady who attempted a sequel to Gone With The Wind can handle that.


Back to Grumbling!   :o

I might have written about this some time ago: I really dislike T.V. news shows using slang words like "cops" rather than "the police," when reporting about the latest antics in the big city.

I have also heard reporters use "the guy said," when talking about a witness to the latest antics.

Probably the staff feels this makes them more comprehensible to the audience, or more like one of the "guys" down at the bowling alley, or at the local spa for elbow-bending.

We also have a Twinkie named "Megan" on one station, who acts like Godzilla is in the background trampling down skyscrapers whenever she reports on a story, and her stories usually involve rabid chipmunks or grandmothers victimized by junk-mail offers: she dazzles you with breathless, wide-eyed, monotonic hysteria!  :o
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

karlhenning

Originally it was to be a tale of watermelon loss . . . Gone With the Rind.

Spotswood

Quote from: Cato on March 10, 2010, 03:49:24 AM
We also have a Twinkie named "Megan" on one station, who acts like Godzilla is in the background trampling down skyscrapers whenever she reports on a story, and her stories usually involve rabid chipmunks or grandmothers victimized by junk-mail offers: she dazzles you with breathless, wide-eyed, monotonic hysteria!  :o

Reporters simply live for the end of the world. This winter, as we experienced three snowstorms in a row, the warnings on TV got bigger as the snowfalls got smaller. The eyes glazed over as the dire predictons went on and on.

As for the cops and guys,  that's not so much a question of correctness as style --- what the editor is willing to live with. At our paper, we don't say cops or guys, nor do we  say kids when we mean children. But if a reporter is out on the street speaking off the cuff, it's harder to correct them. And some papers, particularly tabloids, like to go for working-class slang. I'd expect the word cops in a daily News column, but not in a NYT editorial. It's a matter of context.

I remember Letterman once did a top 10 list of words used in New York Post headlines, and No. 1 was "Slayfest/lotto (tie)."

DavidRoss

"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Spotswood

#1064
Apparently they're really into news about the mob.

Cato

Quote from: Joe Barron on March 10, 2010, 10:13:26 AM
Apparently they're really into news about the mob.

Life and Death In New York!

Another grumble: I have been hearing commercials and people in general mispronouncing "immediately."

It especially happens when they are emphasizing the word, e.g. the school's principal hits the P.A. and says: "I need to see Rappy Scallion in my office eee-mediately!"   :o

Has anyone else noticed this?
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

DavidRoss

Quote from: Cato on March 10, 2010, 12:41:34 PM
Life and Death In New York!

Another grumble: I have been hearing commercials and people in general mispronouncing "immediately."

It especially happens when they are emphasizing the word, e.g. the school's principal hits the P.A. and says: "I need to see Rappy Scallion in my office eee-mediately!"   :o

Has anyone else noticed this?
I thought you were going to say "ĭ-midget-lee."
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Cato

Quote from: DavidRoss on March 10, 2010, 01:16:14 PM
I thought you were going to say "ĭ-midget-lee."

Wow!  I have not heard that pronunciation here in Ohio!   $:)

Here in the heart of Ohio we do hear the contraction "Clumbus" rather than "Columbus."   ::)

And I have heard "Cincy Annie" for "Cincinnati."

Cincy Annie hangs out at a truck stop across the river in Covington!   0:)


"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

DavidRoss

Quote from: Cato on March 10, 2010, 01:40:44 PMCincy Annie hangs out at a truck stop across the river in Covington!   0:)
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

Spotswood

Here's the whole list:

TOP TEN WORDS USED IN NEW YORK POST HEADLINES

10. Co-Ed
9. Tot
8. Horror
7. Straphangers
6. Mom
5. Weirdos
4. Hizzoner
3. Torso
2. Herr Stienbrenner
1. Slayfest / Lotto    (tie)

DavidRoss

So the Post can't count.  Why isn't that a surprise?
"Maybe the problem most of you have ... is that you're not listening to Barbirolli." ~Sarge

"The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money." ~Margaret Thatcher

secondwind

A friend sent me a copy of a newspaper article with the headline: "Republicans turned off by size of Obama's package".  Her comment:  "Think they're jealous?"   ;D

Spotswood

Quote from: secondwind on March 11, 2010, 04:52:02 PM
"Republicans turned off by size of Obama's package".

Oh, that is an unfortunate chouice of words ...


Cato

Quote from: Joe Barron on March 11, 2010, 07:29:43 PM
Oh, that is an unfortunate choice of words ...

Herr Professor Freud just will NOT go away!   0:)
"Meet Miss Ruth Sherwood, from Columbus, Ohio, the Middle of the Universe!"

- Brian Aherne introducing Rosalind Russell in  My Sister Eileen (1942)

Spotswood

#1074
It's just, as an editor, I'm sensitive to bad headlines. One of our former editors used to say that every headilne should pass the 13-year-old boy test: If a 13-year-old would find something in it to laugh at, it should be discarded. This one fails that test.

Found this one once in a state parks publication: "Hunting and shooting up"

Truly an unbeatable combination.

secondwind

Quote from: Joe Barron on March 12, 2010, 12:04:11 PM
It's just, as an editor, I'm sensitive to bad headlines. One of our former editors used to say that every headilne should pass the 13-year-old boy test: If a 13-year-old would find something in it to laugh at, it should be discarded. This one fails that test.

Yeah.  Epic fail.


John Copeland

I like the use of italics as a means of word stress.  Italics make a word everything it should be in vocal context.
Italics are great!

Opus106

Quote from: John on March 15, 2010, 08:34:43 AM
I like the use of italics as a means of word stress.  Italics make a word everything it should be in vocal context.
Italics are great!

This is a place to grumble, man!
Regards,
Navneeth

Spotswood

Quote from: Opus106 on March 15, 2010, 08:38:22 AM
This is a place to grumble, man!

For sure, man.

Or: For sure, man.

Or: For sure, man.

Less often: For sure, man.

Even less often: For sure, man.