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Off topic: The perils of English headline writing
Thread poster: Susan Welsh
Susan Welsh
Susan Welsh  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 04:23
Russian to English
+ ...
Feb 1, 2010

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/31/magazine/31FOB-onlanguage-t.html?emc=eta1




[Edited at 2010-02-01 21:11 GMT]
 
jacana54 (X)
jacana54 (X)  Identity Verified
Uruguay
English to Spanish
+ ...
Loved it, thanks! Feb 1, 2010



 
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 10:23
Member (2005)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Absolutely fantastic! Feb 1, 2010

"Gator Attacks Puzzle Experts"... my favourite. Thanks for sharing! It's always great to have a healthy laugh!!
 
Jack Doughty
Jack Doughty  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:23
Russian to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Some found by "Private Eye" in the 70s and 80s Feb 1, 2010

Many MPs use Heath for sex, says gay group (Edward Heath was Prime Minister at the time)
Rats protest at rundown city houses
Tree expert sent in to top Arab
GREAT YARMOUTH OPEN BOWELS FESTIVAL
First leg over in BMA elections
MAN SHOT DEAD BY POLICE STATION
Condom is back in French pack (this is about a French rugby player named Condom)
Police in barrels warning
SMOKING KILLS Health Department's Chief Medical Officer
 
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Catalan to English
+ ...
Some others:-) Feb 2, 2010

Jack Doughty wrote:

Many MPs use Heath for sex, says gay group (Edward Heath was Prime Minister at the time)
Rats protest at rundown city houses
Tree expert sent in to top Arab
GREAT YARMOUTH OPEN BOWELS FESTIVAL
First leg over in BMA elections
MAN SHOT DEAD BY POLICE STATION
Condom is back in French pack (this is about a French rugby player named Condom)
Police in barrels warning
SMOKING KILLS Health Department's Chief Medical Officer


Dead man found in graveyard.

Dead policeman in the force for fifteen years.

You're going to call him Sean? What kind of a name is that? Every Tom, Dick and Harry's called Sean.

Traffic lights stolen from . Police said, "Some thieves will stop at nothing."
 
Wendy Cummings
Wendy Cummings  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:23
Spanish to English
+ ...
one more Feb 5, 2010

Head Foots Arms Body


A former minister named Head put forward the funding for a weapons agency...

heehee.
 
Jaroslaw Michalak
Jaroslaw Michalak  Identity Verified
Poland
Local time: 10:23
Member (2004)
English to Polish
SITE LOCALIZER
Not a headline... Feb 5, 2010

This is not a headline, but I thought about this topic immediately...

My wife has been buying some cosmetics and came home with whipped body cream. I said: "But darling! Why you need that for? I'm not that kind of husband, you know...".
 
NancyLynn
NancyLynn
Canada
Local time: 04:23
Member (2002)
French to English
+ ...

Moderator of this forum
Another one Feb 5, 2010

Coalition skirts abortion issue
 
Alistair Gainey
Alistair Gainey  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:23
Russian to English
My thoughts on this issue Feb 5, 2010

Wendy Leech wrote:

Head Foots Arms Body

A former minister named Head put forward the funding for a weapons agency...

heehee.


Nearly! I think you mean Foot Heads Arms Body, don't you? (About former Labour leader Michael Foot)
 
Giles Watson
Giles Watson  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 10:23
Italian to English
In memoriam
The tradition continues Feb 5, 2010

Private Eye still publishes ambiguous headlines that readers send in. Two recent pearls are:

Drug runner hid crack in his pants

and a story about a mobile phone company's plans for a church steeple:

Public 'mast' debate

Sub-editors on provincial newspapers must get really, really bored
 


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The perils of English headline writing






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