Confusing headlines

[Man in Space]

Courtesy of WTHR-13, Indianapolis, as I am in a traffic jam outside of there and haven’t moved for over an hour:

Woman killed dog, pointed gun at officers they shot her, Lawrence police say

Yes, that is the unedited original.

[bradrn]

Courtesy of WTHR-13, Indianapolis, as I am in a traffic jam outside of there and haven’t moved for over an hour:

Woman killed dog, pointed gun at officers they shot her, Lawrence police say

Yes, that is the unedited original.

That’s not confusing, just ungrammatical, surely?

[zompist]

Courtesy of WTHR-13, Indianapolis, as I am in a traffic jam outside of there and haven’t moved for over an hour:

Woman killed dog, pointed gun at officers they shot her, Lawrence police say

Yes, that is the unedited original.

That’s not confusing, just ungrammatical, surely?

Maybe worth noting that the headline has been corrected to "Woman killed dog, pointed gun at officers before they shot her, Lawrence police say"

[Raphael]

From the Irish Times's reporting about the Israel-Iran war:

Tánaiste warns against travel to either country as Irish embassy staff work with citizens actively seeking to leave them

Took me a moment to realize to whom the word "them" refers in this context.

[zompist]

Headline from Wired:

'Big Balls' No Longer Works for the U.S.Government

This happens to refer to a DOGE goon nicknamed Big Balls, but it has other interpretations.

[zompist]

A sign at the University of Edinburgh:

NO CATERING HERE DUE TO FIRE SAFETY UNIT
REQUIREMENTS.
ALL CATERING TO BE SET UP BY ELEPHANT
SKELETONS.

[bradrn]

A sign at the University of Edinburgh:

NO CATERING HERE DUE TO FIRE SAFETY UNIT
REQUIREMENTS.
ALL CATERING TO BE SET UP BY ELEPHANT
SKELETONS.

Wonderful!

[Man in Space]

A sign at the University of Edinburgh:

NO CATERING HERE DUE TO FIRE SAFETY UNIT
REQUIREMENTS.
ALL CATERING TO BE SET UP BY ELEPHANT
SKELETONS.

It took me way too long to realize that “by” was locative here and not agentive. I was trying to figure out what the British meaning of “elephant skeletons” was.

[alice]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but I actually work at the University of Edinburgh, and "elephant skeletons" is genuine jargon for certain types of catering staff.

[Travis B.]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but I actually work at the University of Edinburgh, and "elephant skeletons" is genuine jargon for certain types of catering staff.

Are you pulling our legs or not?

[Man in Space]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but I actually work at the University of Edinburgh, and "elephant skeletons" is genuine jargon for certain types of catering staff.

Are you pulling our legs or not?

I believe there are outside forces acting on our legs.

[bradrn]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but I actually work at the University of Edinburgh, and "elephant skeletons" is genuine jargon for certain types of catering staff.

Are you pulling our legs or not?

I believe there are outside forces acting on our legs.

In just two months I will have ample chance to confirm…

[zompist]

In just two months I will have ample chance to confirm…

I bet the University would appreciate a gift of an actual Australian drop bear.

[bradrn]

In just two months I will have ample chance to confirm…

I bet the University would appreciate a gift of an actual Australian drop bear.

I’m sure they would! After all, the Scots are noted drop bear experts.

[Travis B.]

In just two months I will have ample chance to confirm…

I bet the University would appreciate a gift of an actual Australian drop bear.

I’m sure they would! After all, the Scots are noted drop bear experts.

The only problem is that I bet they have laws about exporting (from Australia) or importing (into the UK) wild animals like drop bears.

[alice]

Surgeon who had his legs removed accused of fraud

which seems to suggest the continuation "... and he'll have to have them put back if found guilty".

[alice]

Sorry to disappoint you all, but I actually work at the University of Edinburgh, and "elephant skeletons" is genuine jargon for certain types of catering staff.

Are you pulling our legs or not?

I believe there are outside forces acting on our legs.

No, I do work for the UofE, although I will no longer be doing so when bradrn arrives.

[Travis B.]

Are you pulling our legs or not?

I believe there are outside forces acting on our legs.

No, I do work for the UofE, although I will no longer be doing so when bradrn arrives.

I was wondering whether you were exerting force on our legs about the elephant skeletons.

[bradrn]

Are you pulling our legs or not?

I believe there are outside forces acting on our legs.

No, I do work for the UofE, although I will no longer be doing so when bradrn arrives.

Well, either way, I’m sure I can find at least one person at Strathclyde who is knowledgeable about UoE…

[Raphael]

From Roll Call:

Long removed as IRS commissioner two months after confirmation

Took me a moment to realize that this was about a guy named Billy Long.