Proof Reading is a Dying Art

[USA1]

Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn't you say?
Please enjoy the following News Paper Headlines.
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Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
They put in a correction the next day.
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Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
really? Ya think?
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Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
Now that's taking things a bit far!
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Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
What a guy!
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Miners Refuse to Work after Death
No-good-for-nothing' lazy so-and-so's!
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Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
See if that works any better than a fair trial!
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War Dims Hope for Peace
I can see where it might have that effect!
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If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
Ya think?!
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Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
Who would have thought!
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Enfield ( London ) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
They may be on to something!
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Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
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Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge
He probably IS the battery charge!
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New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
No comment .
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Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
That's what he gets for eating those beans!
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Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************
Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
Chainsaw Massacre all over again!
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Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
Boy, are they tall!
*******************************************
And the winner is....
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Did I read that right?
***************************************************

[Mithras61]

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Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?
----------------------------------------------------------

Maybe they are using red duct tape...

[seamusTX]

Here's a bunch more: http://jn10.co.uk/stories/newspaper-headlines.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The explanation for this is that most headlines are composed by an underpaid English major late at night. Newspapers have gotten rid of proofreaders and more experienced (better paid) editors.

The quality of books is decreasing, also, at least in terms of outright bloopers and clumsy language that would never get past a good editor.

- Jim

[Mithras61]

Here's a bunch more: http://jn10.co.uk/stories/newspaper-headlines.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The explanation for this is that most headlines are composed by an underpaid English major late at night. Newspapers have gotten rid of proofreaders and more experienced (better paid) editors.

The quality of books is decreasing, also, at least in terms of outright bloopers and clumsy language that would never get past a good editor.

- Jim

Yup. MS Word just can't keep people from using poor construction in their language and writing "English as she are spoke". Of course, it would help if folks understood what that green squiggly line under their sentence meant (or even better, if Word was capable of handling compound complex sentences).

[USA1]

another that i remember was a sign at a garden center that read...Mexican Pot Sale

much to my dismay , they were only selling Mexican Pots

[JJVP]

[quote="USA1"]Proofreading is a dying art, wouldn't you say?
Please enjoy the following News Paper Headlines.

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
Do they taste like chicken?
****************************************

Check with someone from Virginia.

[Reloader]

So is correct spelling...

[Keith B]

Here's a bunch more: http://jn10.co.uk/stories/newspaper-headlines.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The explanation for this is that most headlines are composed by an underpaid English major late at night. Newspapers have gotten rid of proofreaders and more experienced (better paid) editors.

The quality of books is decreasing, also, at least in terms of outright bloopers and clumsy language that would never get past a good editor.

- Jim

Then there are those that know exactly what the headline states and word it that way on purpose to get a laugh. I have a friend in the business and has done that for years to see who catches it. He has had a couple of them even make it to Jay Leno.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

"Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" is a book by Lynne Truss that discusses grammatical
errors, sometimes caused by lack of commas, or in this case, by adding commas in
the wrong place.

The book title was the mangled description of what a Chinese panda does:
"Eats shoots and leaves".

SIA