The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #132499   Message #4087761
Posted By: Steve Shaw
13-Jan-21 - 10:46 AM
Thread Name: BS: Language Pet Peeves
Subject: RE: BS: Language Pet Peeves
"Hee her headline reads Grandparents have been [complaint] my 6-year old behind my back for years!"

1. What does "Hee her" mean?

2. Who is this "her?"

3. What does "[complaint]" in the middle of an alleged headline mean?

4. "have been"??

5. Whose "6-year old [sic]"?

6. Behind WHOSE back?

Tell us where you saw this headline. I'd love to look it up. I have no peeve with the sentence, but, in general, I do have peeves when it comes to obscurantist writing that requires me to do a lot of unnecessary mental processing before I can see the light. It's far more polite to express things in simple, clear language.