Confusing headlines

[Raphael]

From technology-related group blog Techdirt:

Don’t Fall For The Latest Changes To The Dangerous Kids Online Safety Act

( https://www.techdirt.com/2024/02/20/don ... afety-act/ )

(That is, the bloggers claim that the proposed act in question is dangerous - it's not an act about the online safety of dangerous kids.)

[fusijui]

I love that one, Raphael!

[Raphael]

I love that one, Raphael!

Thank you!

[fusijui]

Another one from the Grauniad: "Cat killer sentenced to life for Oxford murder as part of sexual fantasy".

[Raphael]

Another one from the Grauniad: "Cat killer sentenced to life for Oxford murder as part of sexual fantasy".

Having read the article, I now understand the headline, but it stills sounds weird to me that, when someone first killed a cat and then later a human being, the headline about them starts out by calling them a "cat killer".

[hwhatting]

Having read the article, I now understand the headline, but it stills sounds weird to me that, when someone first killed a cat and then later a human being, the headline about them starts out by calling them a "cat killer".

I have brought your wrong priorities to the attention of our feline overlords. They will pay you a visit.

[fusijui]

Another one from the Grauniad: "Cat killer sentenced to life for Oxford murder as part of sexual fantasy".

Having read the article, I now understand the headline, but it stills sounds weird to me that, when someone first killed a cat and then later a human being, the headline about them starts out by calling them a "cat killer".

That's why I like it so much, a rare double-barreled job: ambiguity over the species of the victim in the judgment, and whether the paraphilia was connected to the offense or the sentence.

(Or, for that matter, even the defendant's sexual fantasy or the judge's?)

[fusijui]

Another one from The Guardian: ‘No evil’ Putin will not commit to hold on to power, Zelenskiy says

I initially took 'No evil' as being in apposition to 'Putin' (like if someone said "'Don't Be Evil' Brin"), which then directed me down the path of interpreting the rest of the headline to mean something like "Putin, who is against evil, is not going to strive to stay in office, according to Zelenskiy".

Which I could immediately see was not a sentence The Guardian would print, even if Zelenskiy would actually say it. But it took me a good fifteen minutes, including walking away and coming back later, to be able to see the intended parsing.

[bradrn]

Another one from The Guardian: ‘No evil’ Putin will not commit to hold on to power, Zelenskiy says

I initially took 'No evil' as being in apposition to 'Putin' (like if someone said "'Don't Be Evil' Brin"), which then directed me down the path of interpreting the rest of the headline to mean something like "Putin, who is against evil, is not going to strive to stay in office, according to Zelenskiy".

Which I could immediately see was not a sentence The Guardian would print, even if Zelenskiy would actually say it. But it took me a good fifteen minutes, including walking away and coming back later, to be able to see the intended parsing.

I can’t see the intended parsing…

[fusijui]

"Zelenskiy says that there is no evil which Putin will not commit, in order to stay in power."

I mean... I think that's it.

[bradrn]

"Zelenskiy says that there is no evil which Putin will not commit, in order to stay in power."

I mean... I think that's it.

Ah-ha… that would make sense, thanks!

[fusijui]

No, thank you, for reassuring me that it's not some unique personal problem I had with it!

[hwhatting]

"Zelenskiy says that there is no evil which Putin will not commit, in order to stay in power."

Without you pointing it out, I also wouldn't have guessed that reading. It would have been much easier if they had left out the quotation marks, or put them around the entire clause before "says Z".

[bradrn]

"Zelenskiy says that there is no evil which Putin will not commit, in order to stay in power."

Without you pointing it out, I also wouldn't have guessed that reading. It would have been much easier if they had left out the quotation marks, or put them around the entire clause before "says Z".

Really, all they needed to do is add ‘that’ just after ‘no evil’.

[fusijui]

I need to just read the Guardian regularly, it's a gold mine. Today I noticed:

Victoria police will still be involved in public drunkenness cases after decriminalisation, documents say

[hwhatting]

Victoria police will still be involved in public drunkenness cases after decriminalisation, documents say

Cheers!

[Linguoboy]

WaPo, opening with a classic garden path:

A new Scottish law that criminalizes the “stirring up of” hatred against some groups has triggered a debate far beyond its borders, pitting rights activists who say it’s needed to fight a rising tide of harassment and violence against conservative celebrities and politicians who say the law threatens free speech.

[bradrn]

WaPo, opening with a classic garden path:

A new Scottish law that criminalizes the “stirring up of” hatred against some groups has triggered a debate far beyond its borders, pitting rights activists who say it’s needed to fight a rising tide of harassment and violence against conservative celebrities and politicians who say the law threatens free speech.

…this doesn’t seem at all confusing to me? Poorly edited, yes, but it makes sense to me.

[Man in Space]

From a local X feed (19 Action News):

They're keeping smaller birds from pooping all over and making a mess of the city.

Initially I read this as

They're [keeping smaller birds from pooping all over] and [making a mess of the city].

and not

They're keeping smaller birds from [pooping all over and making a mess of the city].

[bradrn]

Officer accidentally fired gun while clearing Columbia building seizure — NYPD

Politics aside, suddenly running into that word ‘seizure’ at the end nearly gave me one… (no, it’s not that kind of seizure!)