Curiosities in the public record

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
Photo caption from the local paper:



It troubles me that some lunkheaded copy editor thought to change "fireman" (correct) to "firefighter" (incorrect and comically inaccurate, at least in the world of steam powered railways), but decided that discretion was the better part of valor and left "manning" alone.

Because "personning" the engine would make no sense?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Just don't think too hard about what "manning" really implies...

Hey, what kind of a fireman are you if you can't stoke those flames?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch

Photo caption from the local paper:


quote:
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The historic Skunk Train, with firefighter Pepper Ball manning the engine, heads from Willits toward Fort Bragg on the run along the Noyo River canyon. The 118-year-old railroad may close Tuesday.
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It troubles me that some lunkheaded copy editor thought to change "fireman" (correct) to "firefighter" (incorrect and comically inaccurate, at least in the world of steam powered railways), but decided that discretion was the better part of valor and left "manning" alone.

It would be tougher to make the story PC in France. "Road" translates as "chemin", a masculine noun. Perhaps "street", or "rue" a feminine noun would be culturally more sensitive.

But ultimately what's troubling is not the PC choices. For Pepper Ball to have found such a perfect heat related job is a happy thought. That the job may end Tuesday is sad. Please don't post updates unless the railstreet is saved.

[Atticus Grinch]

I'm a little peeved that CBS's "NCIS" was renamed "Navy NCIS," given that it already stood for Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Then WTF is "Navy" doing at the beginning of the title, you ask? CBS was worried that "NCIS" alone would create confusion with the CSI franchise. Redundancy is better than a Lanham Act violation, I guess.

Of course, we hear often enough about the "SAT test" or going to the "ATM machine" with our "PIN number." I imagine there are others.

Originally posted by Atticus Grinch
I'm a little peeved that CBS's "NCIS" was renamed "Navy NCIS," given that it already stood for Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

I was thinking the same thing the other night. But since the reviews are embarassingly poor, I don't think we'll have to worry about the issue for very long.

-TL

[pretermitted_child]

You consume six times the normal daily dosage of the prescription cough medicine Tussionex, call the PTO, and vent your frustration with the TTAB. What result?

[pretermitted_child]

This so-called parody contest does not involve parodies in the strictest sense -- but rather satire. cf. The Cat NOT in the Hat! A parody by "Dr. Juice"

[Bad_Rich_Chic]

Originally posted by cheval de frise
"diffuse" (defuse)
"principal" (principle [misused BOTH ways])
"tact" (tack [as in, 'to take a tack'])
"tow" (toe [the line])
"effect[ed]" (affect[ed])

"mustard" (muster [as in 'cutting the'])
"poor" "pore" and "pour"
"peaked" (piqued [as in 'one's interest has been'])
"compliment" (complement [misused both ways])
"corpse" (corps, though I quite like the press corpse)

[dtb]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
"mustard" (muster [as in 'cutting the'])
"poor" "pore" and "pour"
"peaked" (piqued [as in 'one's interest has been'])
"compliment" (complement [misused both ways])
"corpse" (corps, though I quite like the press corpse)

And the ever popular

"loose" (lose -- as in, I hated to lose the game...)

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by dtb
And the ever popular

"loose" (lose -- as in, I hated to lose the game...)

tack vs. tact (he's taking a different tact in these negotiations)

and the use of "till" in place of "until" or " 'til"

[tmdiva]

Originally posted by Bad_Rich_Chic
"peaked" (piqued [as in 'one's interest has been'])

A magazine that came in the mail today (Menswear? With my name on the label? No idea why it came) had "peak" when they really meant "peek," as in a sneak peek at spring 2004 fashions. Ugh.

tm

[robustpuppy]

Originally posted by tmdiva
A magazine that came in the mail today (Menswear? With my name on the label? No idea why it came) had "peak" when they really meant "peek," as in a sneak peek at spring 2004 fashions. Ugh.

tm

Things that irk me:

Overheard at Neuschwanstein: an American tourist saying that Ludwig II and his doctor "drowned to death" in Lake Starnberg.

Other version: a lifeguard at a water park saying that a patron drowned, and when another patron said "I can't believe a person died on your watch," replying, "He didn't die, he just drowned."

And heard on TV: a person pronouncing height as height-th.

Finally, what is with the pervasive misuse (i.e., non-reflexive use) of myself and yourself? This really bugs myself.

Other people's selves do horrible things to the language.

[NotFromHere]

Originally posted by tmdiva
A magazine that came in the mail today (Menswear? With my name on the label? No idea why it came) had "peak" when they really meant "peek," as in a sneak peek at spring 2004 fashions. Ugh.

tm

Maybe they were wanting you to look at the "peak" in the mens underwear.

[dtb]

Originally posted by robustpuppy
Things that irk me:

Finally, what is with the pervasive misuse (i.e., non-reflexive use) of myself and yourself? This really bugs myself.

Other people's selves do horrible things to the language.

There is an added level of irritation for the "myself" thing -- because the people who do it are trying to sound "smarter" when what they sound is "not smarter".

(But, that's just myself's opinion.)