Hm, I don't know that we've explicitly said as such. I'm in my early thirties; what about you?linguoboy wrote:But different generations, IIRC.Axiem wrote:Weird. I've only ever heard "watch party", never "watching party". (Mostly weird because we're from the same city)linguoboy wrote:I don't recall coming across "watch party" before; IMD that's a "watching party".
Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Okay, then you're definitely in different generations! 
I'm 29, so only slightly younger than you.
I'm 29, so only slightly younger than you.-
Salmoneus
- Sanno
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- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
The BBC has two fine examples of syntactic ambiguity today:
Swedish politician raped for his beliefs
and
Indian priest freed by militants to meet Pope
Swedish politician raped for his beliefs
and
Indian priest freed by militants to meet Pope
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
I immediately got the ambiguity in the second haedline, but it wouldn't ever have occurred to me to parse the first one as "Swedish politician committed rape due to his beliefs" if you hadn't made me search for ambiguity. To me, taking into account the usual headline conventions, only the passive interpretation ("politician was raped") seems obvious here.Salmoneus wrote:The BBC has two fine examples of syntactic ambiguity today:
Swedish politician raped for his beliefs
and
Indian priest freed by militants to meet Pope
-
Salmoneus
- Sanno
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:00 pm
- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Maybe this is just because ideological raping is relatively rare, and particularly from politicians? How about "Swedish terrorist killed for his beliefs" - both interpretations possible for you there?hwhatting wrote:I immediately got the ambiguity in the second haedline, but it wouldn't ever have occurred to me to parse the first one as "Swedish politician committed rape due to his beliefs" if you hadn't made me search for ambiguity. To me, taking into account the usual headline conventions, only the passive interpretation ("politician was raped") seems obvious here.Salmoneus wrote:The BBC has two fine examples of syntactic ambiguity today:
Swedish politician raped for his beliefs
and
Indian priest freed by militants to meet Pope
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
I'm not native but I'd still say the passive interpretation is more salient here.Salmoneus wrote: Maybe this is just because ideological raping is relatively rare, and particularly from politicians? How about "Swedish terrorist killed for his beliefs" - both interpretations possible for you there?
The conlanger formerly known as “the conlanger formerly known as Pole, the”.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Same here. In headlinese, it would take the following to make the active interpretation the first choice for me:Pole, the wrote:I'm not native but I'd still say the passive interpretation is more salient here.Salmoneus wrote: Maybe this is just because ideological raping is relatively rare, and particularly from politicians? How about "Swedish terrorist killed for his beliefs" - both interpretations possible for you there?
1) Use of a full perfect (fat chance in a headline) or of present tense ("X rapes, kills for his beliefs") or of a simple past that is different from the past participle
2) Inclusion of an object
3) Use of the present participle
EDIT: In this specific case, the combination "terrorist" and "killed for his beliefs" would make it somewhat more likely to consider the active interpretation, but to me it would feel like a dicrepancy between syntax and meaning.
-
Salmoneus
- Sanno
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:00 pm
- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
How about "Student killed for his mother"? Or, "Addict gambled for fun"? Or even "Assassin killed for money"?hwhatting wrote:Same here. In headlinese, it would take the following to make the active interpretation the first choice for me:Pole, the wrote:I'm not native but I'd still say the passive interpretation is more salient here.Salmoneus wrote: Maybe this is just because ideological raping is relatively rare, and particularly from politicians? How about "Swedish terrorist killed for his beliefs" - both interpretations possible for you there?
1) Use of a full perfect (fat chance in a headline) or of present tense ("X rapes, kills for his beliefs") or of a simple past that is different from the past participle
2) Inclusion of an object
3) Use of the present participle
EDIT: In this specific case, the combination "terrorist" and "killed for his beliefs" would make it somewhat more likely to consider the active interpretation, but to me it would feel like a dicrepancy between syntax and meaning.
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Passive first.Salmoneus wrote: How about "Student killed for his mother"?
"Addict gambled for fun"?
Active only, simply because "to gamble an addict" doesn't make much sense.
Passive first, and I'd file it under "poetic justice".Or even "Assassin killed for money"?
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
I think the issue is active phrases like “Terrorist attacked for his beliefs” or “Assassin killed for money” when it's obvious the bad stuff was done by the bad guy, are simply too redundant for headlinese and, to cram as much information as you can, you would most often do away with the agent altogether, saying instead “20 people killed in terrorist attack” or “50 people killed for money” &c.
The conlanger formerly known as “the conlanger formerly known as Pole, the”.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
The conlanger formerly known as “the conlanger formerly known as Pole, the”.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
From one of my professional groups: "I need your favorite recently (past 5 years) published Spanish, Portuguese, and South/Central American indigenous languages translations for children, teens and adults."
I had to ask the OP for clarification that she meant translations into English from those languages.
I had to ask the OP for clarification that she meant translations into English from those languages.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
I hate those travelling bars...
JAL
JAL
-
Salmoneus
- Sanno
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:00 pm
- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
That's genius. Presumably those are the seven countries with the most fans of New Order, the band?linguoboy wrote:New Order Bars Almost All Travel From Seven Countries
Meanwhile, the BBC baffles with Family's first student in Cambridge state school record
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
-
Salmoneus
- Sanno
- Posts: 3197
- Joined: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:00 pm
- Location: One of the dark places of the world
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Sorry for the subject matter, but the beginning of this one was for a moment a bit confusing:
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
Blog: [url]http://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/[/url]
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
But the river tripped on her by and by, lapping
as though her heart was brook: Why, why, why! Weh, O weh
I'se so silly to be flowing but I no canna stay!
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
The man is childike because he likes to play with dolls ... oh, wait...Salmoneus wrote:Sorry for the subject matter, but the beginning of this one was for a moment a bit confusing:
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
No, it was a sex doll in the shape of a man that was childish and given a prison term!hwhatting wrote:The man is childike because he likes to play with dolls ... oh, wait...Salmoneus wrote:Sorry for the subject matter, but the beginning of this one was for a moment a bit confusing:
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
Oh, wait, that's confusing, too...
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Al Jourgensen on Drugs and Johnny Depp (YouTube)
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Debating Muslims: Cultural Dialogues in Postmodernity and Tradition (a book title)
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Eh, {childlike {sex doll}} man? Like a man that is known for having/making/selling childlike sex dolls?Vijay wrote:No, it was a sex doll in the shape of a man that was childish and given a prison term!hwhatting wrote:The man is childike because he likes to play with dolls ... oh, wait... ;-)Salmoneus wrote:Sorry for the subject matter, but the beginning of this one was for a moment a bit confusing:
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
Sometimes I'm not sure if the people here are so bad at parsing, or just so bad at trolling.
The conlanger formerly known as “the conlanger formerly known as Pole, the”.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
If we don't study the mistakes of the future we're doomed to repeat them for the first time.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
No, childlike [[sex doll] man].Pole, the wrote:Eh, {childlike {sex doll}} man? Like a man that is known for having/making/selling childlike sex dolls?Vijay wrote:No, it was a sex doll in the shape of a man that was childish and given a prison term!hwhatting wrote:The man is childike because he likes to play with dolls ... oh, wait...Salmoneus wrote:Sorry for the subject matter, but the beginning of this one was for a moment a bit confusing:
Childlike sex doll man given suspended prison term
The sex doll is in the shape of a man.
The sex doll is also childlike.
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
No, [childlike sex] [doll man].
ìtsanso, God In The Mountain, may our names inspire the deepest feelings of fear in urkos and all his ilk, for we have saved another man from his lies! I welcome back to the feast hall kal, who will never gamble again! May the eleven gods bless him!
kårroť
kårroť
Re: Confusing headlines and other trips down the garden path
Maybe he was a man who sold dolls and whose wife divorced him because he acted too childish to be sexually satisfying, but then he was sent to jail for failing to make his alimony payments and has now been given a suspended prison term!