Comments on: MM: Dangling

By: JC

JC — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:00:06 +0000

This from today’s News Telegraph (condensed version of the UK paper): “The billionaire publisher Felix Dennis has apparently admitted to killing a man by pushing him off a cliff during a drink-sodden interview with a journalist.”
Presumably, the journalist was a witness.

By: JC

JC — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:36:33 +0000

A personal peeve is the “every (politician, e.g.) is not a (crook, e.g.)” construction. What is meant is that -not- every (politician, e.g.) is a (crook, e.g.). It sets my teeth on edge every time I hear it.

By: --Deb

--Deb — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:22:10 +0000

@Melissa–Well, that’s true too, of course, but doesn’t it sound more intelligent to be criticizing it because of its poor grammar? (grin) I mean, really, there are so MANY bad/stupid/annoying commercials out there….

By: Melissa Donovan

Melissa Donovan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:48:30 +0000

I cannot stand that commercial although it’s not because of the dangling modifier — because it’s just annoying.

Melissa Donovan’s last blog post..Brief Announcement

By: Gillian

Gillian — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:08:58 +0000

Yes, I like this post. Thanks.
There is a colon cancer screening commercial playing in this area with wording that bugs me too. A discussion between two characters which finishes with the comment from A that he hears it’s generally curable, and B says. “Well then, I get it checked out.” As if he will only go since it’s curable, and wouldn’t go otherwise. So I guess I correct grammar in commercials too.

By: Sue

Sue — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:29:56 +0000

That commercial bugs me too! I cringed the first time I saw/heard it, and Shaun asked me what as wrong. I told him, and he said, “You’re correcting the grammar of a COMMERCIAL?” Too funny…