One from BBC news

[UnquietDad]

"MPs will be debating the plan to close 2000 post offices this afternoon."

2000 post offices? In one afternoon?

[SenoraPostrophe]

gah, that is really pedantic.

I was all exciteed, too, expecting evidence of real linguistic depravity at the corporation.

[UnquietDad]

It is very pedantic. Apologies.

It reminded me of an example which I use with my writing groups:

"I will be discussing the plan for re-stocking all 500 freezers with my colleagues."

[tearinghairout]

Yes, but do these not bring a little light relief into an otherwise dull day?

[FAQ]

this must be a rarity - a pedant being told he's being too pedantic by other pedants!

[IdrisTheDragon]

I appreciate the pedantry .

It is the sort of thing I would comment on and have DH rolling his eyes at me .

[skidoodle]

That's barely pedantry

Poor sentence construction that results in ambiguous meaning is a basic error. It's always fun to see though

[Swedes]

Time, manner, place as I my German teacher used to say.

[belgo]

Oh I remember seeing a photo on the BBC website with the caption 'so and so itches so and so's nose'
(cannot remember who's nose it was!

It got changed to stratches before I had time to link it to here.

[tearinghairout]

FAQ one can't be TOO pedantic, surely??!

I bought a box of paper tissues and noticed on the underside the instruction 'Remove before washing'. I could only think of some bloke who'd cut himself shaving, with bits of tissue stuck on his face. I don't know if I'm just thick, or it's the way my mind works, but it was a very long time before I twigged that they meant 'Remove from pockets & sleeves before you shove the clothes in the washing machine'. But that they think they have to tell you. It's like the packets of airline peanuts that state, in small letters on the back 'Warning: contains peanuts'.

[MrsBadger]

UQD you have made me laugh on an otherwise quite hideous day

thank you!

[belgo]

scratches I mean!

[ratbunny]

maybe there were silent brackets
MPs will be debating the plan (to close 2000 post offices) this afternoon.

[UnquietDad]

MPs will, this afternoon, be debating etc.

[Twiglett]

hahhahahahahaahahhahahahhahhhahahahhahahaha

do you ever wonder whether there's something missing from our lives?

[skidoodle]

Ah yes, ratbunny, the little-known, often-used invisible punctuation mark

LOL @ "remove before washing".

[dinny]

oh, that's barely worth mentioning

[ratbunny]

I suppose it depends on if it was written or spoken.
I can imagine the reporter
"MPs will be debating the plan to close 2000 post offices this afternoon."

[Threadworm]

I wouldn't call that an error, if the article/bulletin had already been discussing the plan and then went on to say wehen it was being discussed. (In which case, "MPs will, this afternoon, be debating etc. " wouldn't work)

It would only be an error if it actually gave rise to a momentary understanding.

[Threadworm]

MISunderstanding!

[UnquietDad]

It was a headline, so it hadn't already mentioned the plan.

[Threadworm]

Ah, in that case not good.

[tearinghairout]

Still I'm impressed at UQD's nonchalant reference to his 'writing groups'.

I went to something like that once, and as we left were warned to watch out for 'the man eating chicken' that had been seen outside.

[dinny]

what, a spoken headline?

[Swedes]

It creates a structural ambiguity so it is an error in my opinion.

Lauching the ship with impressive ceremony, the Admiral's lovely daughter smashed a bottle of champagne over her stern as she slid gracefully down the slipways.

From my favourite book of all time
An introduction to elementary logic by Wilfred Hodges

[UnquietDad]

Just for tearinghairout

man eating chicken

man-eating chicken