Craigslist Killer

Mark Mandel thnidu at GMAIL.COM
Wed Apr 22 19:25:25 UTC 2009


PS: Anyway, Scot was talking about unique reference of this phrase,
"Craigslist killer", not of the construction NP+killer:

In a message dated 4/21/09 8:43:12 PM, slafaive at GMAIL.COM writes:
> I heard this phrase used today to describe Philip Markoff, accused of
> killing a woman in Boston, and I'd thought it was unique, like the Boston
> Strangler or the Green River Killer. But it turns out it was used
> for Michael Anderson, killer from Minnesota, as well. I guess I find it
> somewhat strange that the media would overlap names like that since it
> takes away from the marketability of the story.

On Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 3:03 PM, <RonButters at aol.com> wrote:
> Unique? How is this any different from ANY similar appositive noun that
> indicates the way in which the killer hooked up with his victims? Would we
> think "Classified Ads Killer" "unique"? "Sleezy Pick-Up Bar Killer"? "Chat Room
> Killer"? For that matter, "Toilet Stall Graffiti Killer"? Sooner or later
> there will be a Starbucks Killer, I trow.

Moral for you and me both, Ron: Read carefully before replying.

--
Mark Mandel

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