Members of the ever-vigilant Word Guy Blooper Patrol have nabbed a dozen verbal culprits in newspapers and magazines this spring.
Paul Burton of Staten Island, New York, collared this triple negative in a letter to the editor: “I don’t believe anyone disagrees it is not a step in the right direction.” Huh?
Can you spot the blots in these sentences sent in by other readers?
No. 1: “PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is bearing his teeth, ready to fight the threat the Saudi-funded LIV Golf tour is posing.” This is clearly turning into a “grizzly” battle. (Paul Johnson, St. Paul, Minnesota)
No. 2: “Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala. … chalked up the Oz endorsement to week-kneaded staffers.” Who says dough doesn’t play a role in politics? (Linda Rusin, Suffield, Connecticut)
No. 3: “An international squad of female spies is out to save the world from eminent destruction.” Well, the destruction of the world WOULD be a prominent event. (Marty Sosville, North Bangor, New York)
No. 4: “A year later, Harris English returned to the TPC River Highlands and took another peak at the trophy.” He must have felt like the king of the mountain. (Chris Ryan, New York City)
No. 5: “I do this sorely to support local, family-owned restaurants.” Working his joints hard to help these joints? (Carol Opdyke, Norfolk, New York)
No. 6: “Rep. Malinowski is gasping for air after Democrats through him overboard.” Well, I guess they’re through with him. (Moreland Houck, Trenton, New Jersey)
No. 7: “In an attempt to establish parody, the U.S. and the international teams will be assigned according to last year’s handicaps.” Well, it IS fun to mimic golfers. (David Anson, via email)
No. 8: “In response to a financial crisis that’s been exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic…” Can a financial crisis be frustrated and angry? (Bryan Whitney, Potsdam, New York)
And three from Carol and Duncan Morrow via email:
No. 9: “Sinema suggested that she would not be adverse to voting for a minimum wage increase.” But only under difficult circumstances.
No. 10: “He should remain locally to maintain the stability of his current medication regiment.” Now THAT’s a lot of medications.
No. 11: “(Politicians are farming) the wide ground of doubting science for the votes of confidently uniformed Americans.” Are they cultivating members of the military?
Corrections:
No. 1: baring; No. 2: weak-kneed; No. 3: imminent; No. 4: peek; No. 5: solely; No. 6: threw; No. 7: parity; No. 8: exacerbated; No. 9: averse; No. 10: regimen; No. 11: uninformed
Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. His new book, “Mark My Words,” is available for $9.99 on Amazon.com. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to [email protected] or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.
