Monday, 25 August 2014

Showing indignity or indignation?

The writer speaks of the subject in an admiring tone in this paragraph, leading me to believe he meant to describe her reaction as displaying "indignation" (or the archaic "indignance") rather than "indignity".  The latter implies a source of offence or affront to a person's dignity, whereas the former means a response to unjust or mean treatment.


Tuesday, 19 August 2014

TTC bulging at the seems with riders

"Bulging at the seams" is the saying, "seam" meaning a line a stitches.



Monday, 11 August 2014

They're or there?

They are might have been some miscommunication?  C'mon!


Monday, 2 June 2014

Sunday, 25 May 2014

Wednesday, 21 May 2014

$500,000 bike?

OK, this isn't a typo or an English error, but it's so egregiously (albeit intentionally) wrong I couldn't resist...

The headline would have you believe it's a story about a bicycle that costs $500,000.  The story itself reveals it's about a bike design concept and prototype that raised over $500,000 through a Kickstarter funding campaign.  The article suggests the actual retail price of the bike will be in the magnitude of a few thousand dollars.

Shame on the Star for misleading readers to generate page views.


Wednesday, 14 May 2014

LSUC benchers get their own entrane

It's extra funny because the correct spelling is in the photo!


Monday, 12 May 2014

What is government's roll in society?

We've heard about Sarah Thomson's trading in her "French role" for dreadlocks.  Now the Star is reporting that government has a "roll" to play in helping business.

The Star is on a roll here! (Or should I say "on a role"?!)



Katheen Wynne rold reporters

This was from the same article as the previous post! 




We was kicked off the train

Unless the Star is experimenting in Ebonics, it was probably Tim Hudak himself who was kicked off a subway train during a campaign event.


(Apologies for the bad graphic!)

Thursday, 8 May 2014

North of the boarder?

Boarder: a paying houseguest.
Border: a line separating two political or geographical areas, especially countries,

Confusing these terms is a common mistake among elementary school children.



Monday, 7 April 2014

Train attempts to beat the train

This appeared in the Star-associated Wheels website.

Most news reports say that a "man", "driver", "Jeep driver" or "car" tried to beat the train.


Thursday, 27 March 2014

Rosie DiManno imersonates Rob Ford

Oh c'mon, even in a headline?  Just, wow!


Sarah Thomson traded her French role for dreadlocks



It's clear that Sarah Thomson had a French roll (also known as a French twist) before getting dreadlocks:


I suppose she might have even this kind of French roll:


But I doubt she had any "role" involving France or the French people or language, Ã  la:




Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Kuala Lumpur is on the western coast of Malaysia?

I don't think I'm being too persnickety in calling out this story for stating that Kuala Lumpur is "on the western coast of Malaysia".

True, it's close the west coast, and there's probably a continuous urbanized area between Kuala Lumpur and the coast.  However, having visited Kuala Lumpur a few times, I'm pretty sure no local would consider the city to be on the coast.  To put it into perspective, it's like a Canadian saying the town of Newmarket is on the north shore of Lake Ontario.



Monday, 3 March 2014

Did John Kerry say "to the gilt" or "hilt"?

It's a common saying: to "go to the hilt" means to go up to the full extent possible (like thrusting a sword or dagger right up to the handle).

Meanwhile, any dictionary will tell you "gilt" means covered in thin gold leaf or gold paint.

In this AP story published in the Star (and elsewhere), the headline says Western powers are prepared to go to the hilt to isolate Russia over Ukraine. 


But the article itself quotes the US Secretary of State as saying G8 nations are prepared to go "to the gilt in order to isolate Russia".  


Did John Kerry really say gilt, or was he misquoted?  My guess is that he was misquoted.  If he actually said gilt, I'd have expected to see a "[sic]" after the word, exculpating the quotation-taker from any blame for the verbal blooper. 


Friday, 28 February 2014

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Sights or sites?

I'm guessing the quotation is from a verbal interview, transcribed without enough thought.


According to a 2008 published by ...

According to a 2008 what?



Thursday, 13 February 2014

It's our of our control

I think the Star's editing is our of control!


Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Splint or splinter?

I think the intended word was splint, not splinter (unless she was trying to hurt the chicken instead of help it!).


in tact vs intact

Once again, the Star uses "in tact" instead of "intact".

http://torontostarerrors.blogspot.ca/2012/01/in-tact-or-intact.html


Friday, 17 January 2014

Shashi Tharoor's wife's body found in after affair allegations


This was link on the main page.  The article itself is headlined "Body of Indian minister’s wife found in New Delhi hotel room after affair allegations".  Sloppy editing (which still had not been corrected after being up all day).



Wednesday, 15 January 2014

This mansion in is Mississauga

This doesn't much make sense to me! 



Prosthelytize?

Is the "prosthelytize" an accepted variation of the word proselytize (or proselytise, in British English)?


I don't think so.  It's probably more than a typo, but not in common enough usage to be an accepted variation.  My guess is that many people are unwittingly substituting the familiar (and easier to pronounce) "prosth-" prefix (as in "prosthetic" or "prosthesis"), not realizing it denotes "adding on", as opposed to anything having to do with encouraging religious conversion.

Resources:
http://linguaphiles.livejournal.com/5197417.html
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=proselyte&allowed_in_frame=0
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=prosthetic&searchmode=none
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Etymology-Meaning-Words-1474/2010/4/Spelling.htm