Confusing headlines

Topics that can go away
User avatar
Raphael
Posts: 4557
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:36 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Raphael »

KathTheDragon wrote: Thu Nov 12, 2020 8:07 am What's confusing about that one?
There was a dispute between a person and a knife?
User avatar
KathTheDragon
Posts: 783
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:57 am
Location: Disunited Kingdom

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by KathTheDragon »

Oh, that didn't even occur to me.
User avatar
alice
Posts: 962
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:15 am
Location: 'twixt Survival and Guilt

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by alice »

Seen on the BBC's live reporting of the football match last night: "Scotland 0 - Scotland 1". Which is actually not all that surprising if you know anything about Scottish football, admittedly.
Self-referential signatures are for people too boring to come up with more interesting alternatives.
User avatar
Raphael
Posts: 4557
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:36 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Raphael »

A not at all confusing one from the BBC:

Hiker alive and well after 'dying' for 45 minutes

Why do I bring it up at all? Because I keep misreading "Hiker" in that headline as "Hitler".
bradrn
Posts: 6257
Joined: Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:25 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by bradrn »

Samurai sword death accused fled, court told
Conlangs: Scratchpad | Texts | antilanguage
Software: See http://bradrn.com/projects.html
Other: Ergativity for Novices

(Why does phpBB not let me add >5 links here?)
User avatar
quinterbeck
Posts: 394
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 12:19 pm

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by quinterbeck »

DOCTOR WHO TOOK SABBATICAL TO LEAD TERROR GROUP IN SYRIA

https://twitter.com/andykindcomedy/stat ... 1190005761

More humorous than confusing (and it only works in all-caps)
User avatar
Raphael
Posts: 4557
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 6:36 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Raphael »

A tweet by the AFP:

Private protection: Croatian codpiece is hit with tourists.
User avatar
Linguoboy
Posts: 2453
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Rogers Park

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Linguoboy »

$14 Million Payout Ends Jail Masturbation Class Action Suit (Patch)
User avatar
KathTheDragon
Posts: 783
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 3:57 am
Location: Disunited Kingdom

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by KathTheDragon »

Image
User avatar
linguistcat
Posts: 453
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:17 pm
Location: Utah, USA

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by linguistcat »

A comma would have easily saved a lot of confusion.
A cat and a linguist.
User avatar
Linguoboy
Posts: 2453
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:00 am
Location: Rogers Park

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Linguoboy »

New US Dietary Guidelines Include Babies and Toddlers for First Time
User avatar
Pabappa
Posts: 1359
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 11:36 am
Location: the Impossible Forest
Contact:

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Pabappa »

Finally. I've always wanted to try a dip based on kid-knee beans.
User avatar
alynnidalar
Posts: 336
Joined: Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:51 am
Location: Michigan

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by alynnidalar »

Linguoboy wrote: Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:59 am New US Dietary Guidelines Include Babies and Toddlers for First Time
Paging Mr. Swift, party of one, your table is now available.
kodé
Posts: 115
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2018 3:17 pm

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by kodé »

Raphael wrote: Mon Nov 16, 2020 4:43 pm A not at all confusing one from the BBC:

Hiker alive and well after 'dying' for 45 minutes

Why do I bring it up at all? Because I keep misreading "Hiker" in that headline as "Hitler".
I read this as “Hitler” at first, too.

There should be a term for misreading words as “Hitler”...
User avatar
Rounin Ryuuji
Posts: 2994
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2020 6:47 pm

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Rounin Ryuuji »

Even if he had survived, he would probably died of the old by now. A random Wikipedia article claims that the last living head of state from the period is the guy who would be King of Bulgaria if it weren't now a republic (and who was apparently for a period its prime minister, which is extremely weird, but he was a child when the whole monarchy abolition thing happened).
User avatar
Man in Space
Posts: 1694
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:05 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Man in Space »

From the (Cleveland) 19 Action News Twitter feed:

Law enforcement at home of now-former Cleveland schools employee social media users identified as woman inside Capitol during violent pro-Trump riot

So is it:

Law enforcement at home of [now-former Cleveland schools employee [social media users identified as woman inside Capitol during violent pro-Trump riot]]

That is, law enforcement is at someone’s house, and that someone was identified as having entered the Capital…

Or is it:


[Law enforcement [at home of now-former Cleveland schools employee social media users] identified as woman inside Capitol during violent pro-Trump riot]

The LEO was in the Capitol and is now at the communal home of the former managers of the Cleveland school system’s social media presence?
Richard W
Posts: 1471
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2018 12:53 pm

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Richard W »

From the BBC: Oxygen supplies 'under extreme pressure'
User avatar
Man in Space
Posts: 1694
Joined: Sat Jul 21, 2018 1:05 am

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Man in Space »

Richard W wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:06 pm From the BBC: Oxygen supplies 'under extreme pressure'
Funnily enough, I can read that four ways:

- Supplies of oxygen are being stretched to the limit
- Supplies of oxygen are stored at high PSI
- The Oxygen channel can supply programming despite crunches/tight deadlines
- Oxygen, the gas, can provide things despite extreme logistical difficulties
User avatar
linguistcat
Posts: 453
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 12:17 pm
Location: Utah, USA

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by linguistcat »

Man in Space wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:16 pm
Richard W wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:06 pm From the BBC: Oxygen supplies 'under extreme pressure'
Funnily enough, I can read that four ways:

- Supplies of oxygen are being stretched to the limit
- Supplies of oxygen are stored at high PSI
- The Oxygen channel can supply programming despite crunches/tight deadlines
- Oxygen, the gas, can provide things despite extreme logistical difficulties
- The Oxygen channel supplies a program called "under extreme pressure".
A cat and a linguist.
Qwynegold
Posts: 735
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:03 pm
Location: Stockholm

Re: Confusing headlines

Post by Qwynegold »

Not actually a headline, but I'll post it anyway. My new pair of jeans have a tag that says in Swedish that it's not of animal origin. "Oh, that's good", I thought. But then I noticed the tag said the complete opposite in other languages. I had to read the Swedish sentence several times before I understood it. This is how they're tricking vegans:

Den här artikeln innehåller icke textila delar av animaliskt ursprung
den här artikel-n innehåll-er icke textil-a del-ar av animalisk-t ursprung
this here article-DEF.C contain-PRS NEG textile-PL part-PL of animal-N origin
This article contains non textile parts of animal origin
C = common gender; N =neuter

Icke is usually an adverb meaning "not", so you'd think it's modifying the verb "contain". But here it's used as a prefix for "textile", and therefore should be attached to that word with a dash. But they've skipped the dash!
Post Reply