Malapropism (?)

[Charles Doyle]

Yeah, I also tried to give the NPR reporter the benefit of some kind of doubt.  But no, the report wasn't about the pleas of the criminal or details of his crime.  The phrase in question merely identified him (since he isn't one of the familiar Enron "names"); the brief news story was just about his sentencing (which will happen today).

Besides, the fraud WASN'T "perpetuted"; it eventually stopped!

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 09:07:37 -0500
>From: Michael H Covarrubias <mcovarru at PURDUE.EDU>
>Subject: Re: Malapropism (?)
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>Because of "helped" I see this as ambiguous.  I didn't hear the story.  Was the reported claiming that the felon didn't do anything to stop the fraud?  If so, that might be better said with 'perpetuate' than with 'perpetrate.'
>
>Michael
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> On Nov 15, 2006, at 5:45 AM, Charlie Doyle wrote:
>>
>> > This morning an NPR newscaster, in reference to the sentencing of another Enron executive, said that the felon "helped perpetuate fraud."  I assume he was misreading "perpetrate."  I think that mistake is rather common, but I somehow keep expecting more from those NPR high-brows!
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>>
>> several hundred google webhits for "perpetuate fraud", including many from places that should have known better.
>>
>> arnold

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