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Appalling English and grammar in Daily Mail website articles

Leicester_HunkLeicester_Hunk Posts: 18,316
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I've just started reading an article about Jenny Jones winning the snowboarding bronze this afternoon. One of the bulleted subheadings states:

  • The 33-year-old managed what no Britain had achieved in 90 years

I've not read the rest of the article but this one about last night's Splash! is littered with ridiculous errors.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2550225/When-The-Going-Gets-Tough-Boyzones-Keith-Duffy-triumphs-splash-against-Michaela-Strachan-diving-final.html

"Despite having to manage to tricky dives in the semi-final ......"

"Diversity dancer Perri Kiel would be going straight through to the final ....."

"When it came to judging time GB diving coach Andy Banks chose to put Keith through to the final, Comedian Jo Brand put Michaela through ......"

"Keith flashed a serious amount of flesh, with his shamrock Speedo's slipping not once, but twice as he entered the pool, nearly loosing his shorts completely and showing his bare bum to the underwater cameras."


How do these people get jobs in the first place never mind hang on to them?
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    LostFoolLostFool Posts: 90,663
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    It's almost as bad as the Grauniad.
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    MudboxMudbox Posts: 10,110
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    yes, it's a typesetting problem...:rolleyes :
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    NX-74205NX-74205 Posts: 4,691
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    How do these people get jobs in the first place never mind hang on to them?

    Dey reed four degrees in Meeja Bollox.
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    HarrisonMarksHarrisonMarks Posts: 4,360
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    What's wrong with calling Jo Brand a comedian?


    (Readies QI klaxon).
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    DinkyDoobieDinkyDoobie Posts: 17,786
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    Happens quite a lot but it usually gets noticed quickly.
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    solenoidsolenoid Posts: 15,495
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    Jo Brand is a comedian?
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    Terry WigonTerry Wigon Posts: 6,831
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    What's wrong with calling Jo Brand a comedian?


    (Readies QI klaxon).

    Probably use of the capital C (in the post) to denote a definite article or name. This is not usually used when refering to a generic job title. Some people also still refer to the gender-specific job title 'comedienne' rather than 'comedian'.
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    CravenHavenCravenHaven Posts: 13,953
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    Is it really "appalling" in the normal sense, or "appalling" in the Daily Mail sense that I never gave a toss before you started to bang on about it ;)
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    lemoncurdlemoncurd Posts: 57,778
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    How is "Comedian" supposed to be spelled? :confused:
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    haphashhaphash Posts: 21,448
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    They just seem to cut and paste from other sources without checking anything these days. It is very poor journalism but it's all done on the cheap.
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    MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    Most online sites suffer the same, to save money theres no one to look over whats entered so it just gets published and unless people complain nothing will happen
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    Leicester_HunkLeicester_Hunk Posts: 18,316
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    lemoncurd wrote: »
    How is "Comedian" supposed to be spelled? :confused:

    As they have done. But it doesn't require an initial capital. Or, they should have used a full stop before it instead of a comma.
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    BelligerenceBelligerence Posts: 40,613
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    lemoncurd wrote: »
    How is "Comedian" supposed to be spelled? :confused:
    Well in this case, it shouldn't be capitalised.

    There doesn't seem to be a clear style guide. If you read a match report, one will hyphenate 'centre-back', the other won't. The former is considered correct.
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    RadiomaniacRadiomaniac Posts: 43,510
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    There are mistakes in every single article, a stupid amount. Some of them are so ridiculous that I'm amazed they get through.

    Just for an example, go to their own search bar and type in 'solider' - meant to be soldier - and see how many headlines come up with it in!
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    0...00...0 Posts: 21,111
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    At risk of stating the obvious they don't give a shit as long as people continue to click on their links.
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    Terry WigonTerry Wigon Posts: 6,831
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    lemoncurd wrote: »
    How is "Comedian" supposed to be spelled? :confused:

    Is my post invisible? I answered this two posts before yours and then other people reiterate what I have said. :confused:
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 212
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    There's always a laugh to be had on the Mail site.
    A year or two ago we had a reference to "higher purchase", and in 2012 a reference to QE2's sixty years of "servitude".
    Magnificent ignorance and ineptitude.:)
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    feckitfeckit Posts: 4,303
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    Dictionary:

    Alternate meanings;


    Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

    Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

    Circumvent (n.), the opening in the front of boxer shorts.

    Coffee (n.), a person who is coughed upon.

    Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

    Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

    Flatulence (n.) the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you
    are run over by a steamroller.

    Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

    Negligent (adj.) , describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightie.

    Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddish expressions.

    Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified demeanour assumed by a proctologist immediately before he examines you.

    Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

    Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.
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    exlordlucanexlordlucan Posts: 35,375
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    It's just them catering for their readers innit.
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    Poppy99_PoppyPoppy99_Poppy Posts: 2,255
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    I get quite shocked by the spelling and grammar on the DM site. It is the worse one for that I have ever seen. I think they update very quickly and they hope for the best. The site is viewed a lot in the US and I strangely feel ashamed that a well established newspaper site has such a poor command of English.
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    Jean-FrancoisJean-Francois Posts: 2,301
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    lemoncurd wrote: »
    How is "Comedian" supposed to be spelled? :confused:



    Just a guess here, (I know that it's acceptable to call both male and female comics comedians), but maybe the complainers wanted her to be described as a comedienne, even if they don't think that she's funny.
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    1fab1fab Posts: 20,052
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    Just a guess here, (I know that it's acceptable to call both male and female comics comedians), but maybe the complainers wanted her to be described as a comedienne, even if they don't think that she's funny.

    I think it's the upper case C. (I saw your post, Terry!)
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    SuperAPJSuperAPJ Posts: 10,402
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    Those alternative definitions made me laugh!
    I get quite shocked by the spelling and grammar on the DM site. It is the worse one for that I have ever seen.

    Oops.
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    dd68dd68 Posts: 17,842
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    Apart from the poor grammar they also pander to US readers by using american spellings and phrases
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,845
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    dd68 wrote: »
    Apart from the poor grammar they also pander to US readers by using american spellings and phrases

    Grammar is one thing but American spelling and pronunciation is not "wrong". In fact, as America is now the dominant power, it can be said to have the "correct" English standard. Most people around the world when they want to learn English tend to learn American English.
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