[sic] of the day: earmarks

Cohen, Gerald Leonard gcohen at UMR.EDU
Fri Aug 11 13:39:50 UTC 2006


Since the start of this thread I've noticed "earmarks/hallmarks/markings of al-Qaeda" all used. "Earmarks" is the term I'd probably use.

Gerald Cohen

________________________________

Original message:

Chris Waigl quoted from the Guardian:

> FBI director Robert Mueller says: "This had the earmarks [sic] of an
> al-Qaida plot"

My paper copy of today's Guardian hasn't yet arrived but when it does I'll
check if it's there. If I'd read "earmarks" unwarned, I would certainly
have marked it: the usage would look to me like an error for "hallmark".


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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