[Ads-l] Crash-blossom OTY

[Jonathan Lighter]

"PARISIAN DEP MAYOR RE ATTACK VICTIMS" would apparently have been too
complicated, what with fewer letters and syllables.

JL

On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 12:36 PM, 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
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Yes, but one (moi) would not say "victims of attack" in this case, since
> th=
> ere were several.=C2=A0 Here we have not the ubiquitous "of" but the
> disapp=
> earing "of".
>
> As for Jon's> Not perfect, but close enough for government work,
>
> Let's hope CNN does better next time.=C2=A0 That is, uses "for" or "of"
> ins=
> tead of "on".=C2=A0 :-)
>
> Joel
>
>       From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=20
>  Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 11:42 AM
>  Subject: Re: [ADS-L] Crash-blossom OTY
>   =20
> Yes, the "on" makes the unintended reading less likely, but the weird
> plura=
> l in the modifier within the compound--which seems to have become a
> standar=
> d option anymore--makes it more likely.=C2=A0 For me, it can only be
> "Paris=
>  attack victims", even given the multiplicity of attack sites--i.e. the
> vic=
> tims of attacks are attack victims, not attacks victims.
>
> LH
>
> > On Nov 17, 2015, at 8:52 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> wr=
> ote:
> >=20
> > Not perfect, but close enough for government work.
> >=20
> > On the TV screen, with all caps,=C2=A0 the "on" was easily misread (or,
> b=
> etter,
> > "automatically absorbed )" as "of."
> >=20
> > JL
> >=20
> > On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 8:46 AM, Joel Berson <berson at att.net> wrote:
> >=20
> >> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> >> -----------------------
> >> Sender:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA
> =
> .EDU>
> >> Poster:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Joel Berson <berson at ATT.NET>
> >> Subject:=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 Re: Crash-blossom OTY
> >>=20
> >>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> -------
> >>=20
> >> Well, at least they got the preposition better than "for" or "of".=3DC2=
> =3DA0
> >> Th=3D
> >> at is, I don't think there is a "deputy mayor on Paris", so that I find
> >> the=3D
> >> headline a bit difficult to read as "the deputy mayor on Paris attacks
> >> the=3D
> >> victims."
> >> Deputy mayor "for" or "of" Paris seems to crash more loudly.=3DC2=3DA0
> A=
> nd
> >> "Dep=3D
> >> uty mayor for Paris attacks victims" crashes with a different ambiguity
> =
> --
> >> =3D
> >> is the deputy major for (does he support) the Paris attack victims?
> >>=20
> >> Joel
> >>=20
> >>=C2=A0 =C2=A0 =C2=A0 From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> >> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU=3D20
> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2015 7:40 AM
> >> Subject: [ADS-L] Crash-blossom OTY
> >>=C2=A0 =3D20
> >> CNN caption:
> >>=20
> >> "DEPUTY MAYOR ON PARIS ATTACKS VICTIMS."
> >>=20
> >> JL
> >>=20
> >> --=3D20
> >> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> trut=
> h."
> >>=20
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> > --=20
> > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
> truth=
> ."
> >=20
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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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