For your double-take collections...

[Laurence Horn]

>As I noted several days ago, from the Boston Globe (but of course a
>different article) -- and was shot down.

Not by all of us!

>   :-)  I'm pleased to see the
>possessive, though -- that was not in my example.  Also, the NYT's
>sentences are more ... succinct? ... in posing the confusion than the
>Globe examples.

Right, that was my intent.

>
>Just one question:  Upon first reference, did the NYT article give a
>full name, and add a title?  (Miss or Ms.?)

In accord with its general practice in the sports pages (regardless
of gender), the Times gave her full name (He Kexin) but no title.

LH
>
>At 8/25/2008 02:59 PM, Laurence Horn wrote:
>>In today's NYT article (p. D9) on what is now being claimed to be a
>>"paperwork error" on the eligibility of gymanst He Kexin, we have
>>such observations as:
>>
>>"He was one of three Chinese women gymnasts whose age had been
>>questioned in the lead-up to these Games."
>>
>>and
>>
>>"If He was 14, not 16, she would be too young for these Olympics."
>>
>>I also liked the possessive in
>>
>>"He's birthdate was also Jan. 1, 1994 on the registration list for a
>>2006 intercity competition..."
>>
>>Of course part of the trick is recognizing that the topic of the
>>discussion is not /hi/ but /h^/.
>>
>>LH
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org