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June 14, 2005

Umm, Headline?

Is this evidence of a difference between English and American or something else? Am I deluded (well, yes, we knew that, but am I deluded in this case?) or is the sub-editor who composed it?

Michael Jackson Cleared After 14-Week Child Molesting Trial

Now I read that as saying that they  molested a child for 14 weeks and then cleared Michael Jackson. A rather odd form of deciding guilt or innocence really.

June 14, 2005 in Media | Permalink

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» Michael Jackson Cleared After 14-Week Child Molesting Trial: Interesting! from Hyscience
I read that as saying that they molested a child for 14 weeks and then cleared Michael Jackson. A rather odd form of deciding guilt or innocence, really." [Read More]

Tracked on Jun 15, 2005 2:24:44 AM

Comments

As has often been said before, Britain and America are divided by a common language, but as that language is itself moderated by grammar, syntax, linguistics and sentence structure, we can but assume that they tried to molest a child for fourteen weeks, and then cleared Michael Jackson!

Posted by: Mike Cunningham | Jun 14, 2005 9:58:05 AM

It'd be cheaper to chuck him in a pond to see if he sinks.

Posted by: dearieme | Jun 14, 2005 10:25:40 AM

I doubt that this would be better written in Britain. We have had the same "don't correct the poor child's grammar - it might undermine their confidence" in education for many years.

Posted by: JohnM | Jun 14, 2005 12:29:00 PM

It always looks odd when they use a comma where we'd use 'and' or an ampersand.

"Brit confused, drives up wall"

Posted by: N.I.B. | Jun 14, 2005 12:35:21 PM

I'm never one to knock Americans :P Of course, Tim, using all caps for every word in an headline is an Americanism too ;)

Posted by: Monjo | Jun 14, 2005 1:41:36 PM

Eighth Army push bottles up Germans.

Posted by: dearieme | Jun 14, 2005 2:37:48 PM

Police probe sniffer dog snatch

Posted by: N.I.B. | Jun 14, 2005 3:05:51 PM

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