[Ads-l] Crash-blossom OTY

[Laurence Horn]

Yes, the "on" makes the unintended reading less likely, but the weird plural in the modifier within the compound--which seems to have become a standard option anymore--makes it more likely.  For me, it can only be "Paris attack victims", even given the multiplicity of attack sites--i.e. the victims of attacks are attack victims, not attacks victims.

LH

> On Nov 17, 2015, at 8:52 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> 
> Not perfect, but close enough for government work.
> 
> On the TV screen, with all caps,  the "on" was easily misread (or, better,
> "automatically absorbed )" as "of."
> 
> JL
> 
> On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 8:46 AM, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:
> 
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Joel Berson <berson at ATT.NET>
>> Subject:      Re: Crash-blossom OTY
>> 
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> Well, at least they got the preposition better than "for" or "of".=C2=A0
>> Th=
>> at is, I don't think there is a "deputy mayor on Paris", so that I find
>> the=
>> headline a bit difficult to read as "the deputy mayor on Paris attacks
>> the=
>> victims."
>> Deputy mayor "for" or "of" Paris seems to crash more loudly.=C2=A0 And
>> "Dep=
>> uty mayor for Paris attacks victims" crashes with a different ambiguity --
>> =
>> is the deputy major for (does he support) the Paris attack victims?
>> 
>> Joel
>> 
>>      From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=20
>> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 7:40 AM
>> Subject: [ADS-L] Crash-blossom OTY
>>  =20
>> CNN caption:
>> 
>> "DEPUTY MAYOR ON PARIS ATTACKS VICTIMS."
>> 
>> JL
>> 
>> --=20
>> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>> 
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> 
> -- 
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
> 
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