Did You Mean to Say That?

[fj1200]

A thread dedicated to the lazy headline writers that managed to stay employed.

Soldier shoots dead politician he was guarding (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65454213)
My first question isn't that just abuse of a corpse? My second question was why was he guarding a dead politician?

[Gunny]

A thread dedicated to the lazy headline writers that managed to stay employed.

Soldier shoots dead politician he was guarding (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-65454213)


My first question isn't that just abuse of a corpse? My second question was why was he guarding a dead politician?Not to piss on your parade because I DO see where you're coming from and this thread could keep me entertained for hours :)

But, you are citing the BBC and that IS proper English. Just depends on where you place the inflection :)

Edit: I saw this article and was going to post it and decided against it thinking it would go nowhere. I see you have found a way to get some mileage out of it.

[fj1200]

Wouldn't "shoots politician dead" be more correct? Inflection not needing to be implied.

[Gunny]

Wouldn't "shoots politician dead" be more correct? Inflection not needing to be implied.As correct. Looks a lot worse in print when reading than it would saying it. Give it the test by inserting the:

Shoots dead the politician

Shoots the politician dead

Leaving out "the" leaves the statement open to interpretation. Brits tend to be cryptic.

[fj1200]

As correct. Looks a lot worse in print when reading than it would saying it. Give it the test by inserting the:

Shoots dead the politician

Shoots the politician dead

Leaving out "the" leaves the statement open to interpretation. Brits tend to be cryptic.

You win grammar today. :poke: But headlines shouldn't be cryptic and I still blame the headline writer. :slap:

[Gunny]

You win grammar today. :poke: But headlines shouldn't be cryptic and I still blame the headline writer. :slap:It is the author's fault. The noun needs an identifier. I don't see a reason for being cryptic given the shortness of the headline. It would not be a size issue.

Can't blame me either. It's the demon in my head that took up residence following having a stroke. I have done that crap to just about every sentence I've written since. Makes it really hard to see the forest instead of the trees and start chasing rabbits down holes :)

[Gunny]

Never let a good FJ thread go to waste :)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9qZXJDSPwQ