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BS: Ambiguous Phrasing

09 Dec 08 - 09:32 AM (#2510673)
Subject: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Mr Happy

An example appeared on British TV this week.

A programme titled 쳌g Take that come to town쳌h

What did they mean??


09 Dec 08 - 09:50 AM (#2510689)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: TheSnail

Quite a long time ago -

"Joan Collins comes to sedate Chichester."


09 Dec 08 - 09:51 AM (#2510690)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Dave Hanson

Boy band [ girly dance troop really ] visiting local town.

eric


09 Dec 08 - 09:52 AM (#2510691)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Lox

get that Jizm out of my house ... bring it to town ... (?)

I'll get my coat ...


09 Dec 08 - 09:54 AM (#2510694)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Gervase

Eric's right - it's the indicative, not the imperative. That would be messy!


09 Dec 08 - 10:05 AM (#2510701)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Mr Happy

"Oh Ruby, don't take that come to town?"


09 Dec 08 - 11:14 AM (#2510740)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Amos

Missing italics, quotation marks, or underline.


A


09 Dec 08 - 11:18 AM (#2510748)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: GUEST

The jackets worn by the local Fire Department read:

Fire
Pocatello
EMS

in that format.

I told one of them that I was against firing the Pocatello EMS. He never read it that way...


-Rapaire-


09 Dec 08 - 11:28 AM (#2510755)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Mr Happy

Another just appeared in a thread above:

'Adam Hurt at Roger and Patsy's'


09 Dec 08 - 06:35 PM (#2511222)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Liz the Squeak

As Jimmy Carr (UK comedian) pointed out from a Mother's Day poster offering a competition for mothers...


'Enter your mother today'.

LTS


09 Dec 08 - 08:50 PM (#2511306)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: frogprince

From the immortal Benny Hill: "What is this thing called, Love?"


10 Dec 08 - 03:33 AM (#2511442)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Micca

I always liked the Irish All Ireland final (Gaelic football I think) when County Down in Northern Ireland made it to the the Final in Croke Park and UK viewers of the live broadcast of the game on TV were treated to many signs being held up that said simply "Up Down"


10 Dec 08 - 07:32 AM (#2511573)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Mr Happy

Micca

Kind've like the [maybe urban myth] suffragette banner

'Up with skirts & down with trousers!'


10 Dec 08 - 07:59 AM (#2511602)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: kendall

Many years ago some announcer signed off with this Sponnerism: "This is the BBC, the British broadcopping castration."


10 Dec 08 - 09:27 AM (#2511667)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: kendall

What's that in the road...a head?


10 Dec 08 - 10:05 AM (#2511697)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Acorn4

The, of course there is that classic:-

"The bowler's Holding, the batsman's Willey."


10 Dec 08 - 05:03 PM (#2512036)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Rowan

The other cricketing ones that amuse are
"He's coming over the wicket."
and
"He's just bowled his first maiden over."


Many years ago, just after Legionella was identified in Oz as a dangerous bacterium to have in your cooling system, someone checked the system in Parliament House, Canberra, and found it there. The newspaper banners the next day read
"Dangerous germ in Parliament".

Cheers, Rowan


10 Dec 08 - 05:18 PM (#2512053)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Liz the Squeak

I just got a text about a raffle for a Christmas Humper....

Can't wait, but I bet I don't win.






















I know who sent it and English is not her first language... wonder if she realises... :D

LTS


10 Dec 08 - 06:07 PM (#2512088)
Subject: RE: BS: Ambiguous Phrasing
From: Bainbo

Back in the days when newspaper design was very different, it was the Daily Express (I think) which was said to have had to squeeze a two-line headline, with a byline, across a single-column story.

It read:

Nurse
raped

By our
crime staff