Happy Friday! I was looking at descriptions of new movies and came across this gem on the IMDb app about the film "How to Be Yours":
"Two people driven by their professional ambitions fall in love and are forced to reassess their goals ass they encounter the trials of a serious relationship."
The movie got a 7.2 rating, but I'll give that sentence a 10 for its entertainment value!
Showing posts with label Dumb Mistakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dumb Mistakes. Show all posts
Friday, August 5, 2016
Thursday, July 9, 2015
Criminal Sentence 671: The Curious Case of the Missing L
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Criminal Sentence 670: This Time, a Criminal Editor
From today's newspaper, in a column explaining the jet stream:
"They are created by temperature contrasts which create pressure difference. Those contrasts create pressure differences and those pressure differences create winds."
Sounds a bit repetitive, huh? Well, it's clear that the writer's original sentence was the first one and then the copyeditor fixed it to be the second sentence (changing passive voice to active voice, and removing the "which"). However, the editor forgot to delete the original sentence. Oops!
As an editor, I edit original sentences like this one all the time. It's an editor's job to improve the text, not introduce errors, however. I try my best to reread what I've just edited, especially in a heavily edited piece.
This Criminal Sentence is a good reminder for me to do just that, and non-editors should reread their work, too!
"They are created by temperature contrasts which create pressure difference. Those contrasts create pressure differences and those pressure differences create winds."
Sounds a bit repetitive, huh? Well, it's clear that the writer's original sentence was the first one and then the copyeditor fixed it to be the second sentence (changing passive voice to active voice, and removing the "which"). However, the editor forgot to delete the original sentence. Oops!
As an editor, I edit original sentences like this one all the time. It's an editor's job to improve the text, not introduce errors, however. I try my best to reread what I've just edited, especially in a heavily edited piece.
This Criminal Sentence is a good reminder for me to do just that, and non-editors should reread their work, too!
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Criminal Sentence 638: It's Just Lunch
From something I am editing (space related):
"...the demanding requirements of lunching humans into orbit..."
This was part of a very long sentence.
Are lunching humans demanding? I suppose I would demand no mustard but lots of mayo on my sandwich.
"...the demanding requirements of lunching humans into orbit..."
This was part of a very long sentence.
Are lunching humans demanding? I suppose I would demand no mustard but lots of mayo on my sandwich.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Criminal Sentence 634: Ooh, excuse me!
From something I am editing (about the Space Shuttle):
"It took 20 months before the engine was capable of a 5-second burp at 100 percent."
A 5-second burp sounds fun--if you're 12!
"It took 20 months before the engine was capable of a 5-second burp at 100 percent."
A 5-second burp sounds fun--if you're 12!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Criminal Sentence 633: Nice Broach??
From a weird story about using TP as a fashion accessory:
"Not your grandmother's broach:
One model sports an antique pin with a tissued twist while others rock
cocktail rings that are simply 'Charmin.'"
The problem here is "broach," which is a verb: He broached the subject at lunch.
The writer meant "brooch," a piece of jewelry.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Criminal Sentence 632: Thrifty vs Spendthrift
From an article about a man who finally started saving for retirement:
"My wife is thrifty and our combined incomes were well over $100,000 a year. With her spendthrift abilities we were able to pay off all of our credit card debts."
I had to laugh at that. He called his wife a spendthrift when he meant to repeat she was thrifty.
Thrifty = saves money well
Spendthrift = wastefully extravagant
"My wife is thrifty and our combined incomes were well over $100,000 a year. With her spendthrift abilities we were able to pay off all of our credit card debts."
I had to laugh at that. He called his wife a spendthrift when he meant to repeat she was thrifty.
Thrifty = saves money well
Spendthrift = wastefully extravagant
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Criminal Sentence 629: Number Nonsense
A story in today's paper has the headline "Obama, Romney make a few factual missteps." But then the last line of this article is this:
"In 2012, that favorability figure had fallen to 80 percent to 14 percent."
Huh?
The sentence before read "In 2008, 84 percent of the world had a positive view of the United States and 14 percent negative."
Based on this sentence, I guess they meant to say
"In 2012, that favorability figure had fallen to 80 percent."
"In 2012, that favorability figure had fallen to 80 percent to 14 percent."
Huh?
The sentence before read "In 2008, 84 percent of the world had a positive view of the United States and 14 percent negative."
Based on this sentence, I guess they meant to say
"In 2012, that favorability figure had fallen to 80 percent."
Friday, September 16, 2011
Criminal Sentence 599: I Object!
From a Web site:
"This is not a hard and fast rule an many other factors need to be considered."
Um, it might be a good idea to proofread before posting!
"This is not a hard and fast rule an many other factors need to be considered."
Um, it might be a good idea to proofread before posting!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Criminal Sentence 594: Hurtful Sentence
From a book:
"Clinging to your anger and resentment only huts you."
Ouch. That hurts!
"Clinging to your anger and resentment only huts you."
Ouch. That hurts!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Criminal Sentence 577: Bad News
From a Facebook post ( FB is a gold mine!):
"That's great new's."
Cringe!
"That's great new's."
Cringe!
Friday, July 15, 2011
Criminal Sentence 576: Now That's Dumb!
A reader's comment about an article on results of a standardized writing test:
"We always knew the west side was dumber then dirt..."
Who's the dumb one here, dear commenter?
("Then" should be "than.")
"We always knew the west side was dumber then dirt..."
Who's the dumb one here, dear commenter?
("Then" should be "than.")
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Criminal Sentence 549: Inferior Size
From a book I read (said by one character to the other):
"We were renting a place, down in Castello. Forty-one square meters..."
No problem there. The problem came in something in the next paragraph:
"...a forty-one-meter apartment..."
Now that's small!
"We were renting a place, down in Castello. Forty-one square meters..."
No problem there. The problem came in something in the next paragraph:
"...a forty-one-meter apartment..."
Now that's small!
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Criminal Sentence 521: Sexy Golf Game
From something I'm editing:
"There were golf pictures of foursomes."
This sentence does not evoke what the author intended!
"There were golf pictures of foursomes."
This sentence does not evoke what the author intended!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Criminal Sentence 504: The Difference an M Makes
From a class handout:
"Warming! This syllabus is designed to be read!"
And proofread?
"Warming! This syllabus is designed to be read!"
And proofread?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Criminal Sentence 488: A The An Article Problem
From CNN:
"Stuck on a the tarmac for hours"
I guess the CNN graphics writer couldn't decide which article (a/the/an) to use.
"Stuck on a the tarmac for hours"
I guess the CNN graphics writer couldn't decide which article (a/the/an) to use.
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