I won't reprint the words here for propriety's sake, but in keeping with the theme, what are some things (words or otherwise) you have been surprised to see appear in a newspaper?
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When you have questions, the copy desk has stylistically correct answers.
7 comments:
Carlin was about to get the Mark Twain award and how awkward would that have been. Tough to be a politician and get caught on camera laughing at any of his shtick.
I'm thinking conspiracy here.
I was surprised that I was allowed to use "Shittake" in a cartoon a few years ago.
— Brian O.
Mark T. said ...
I've seen some fairly mild ones make it into print — pissed (as in ... off), bitch (as in complain) and I think as an editor I let bullshit fly once. Wait, that didn't sound right. I mean I let bullshit make it to print. OK, that didn't sound much better. I mean I let the word "bullshit" make it to print.
Kind of unrelated, but I rented "Dickie Roberts" with David Spade for my kids last night and was both disturbed and amused with one of the refrains throughout the movie.
If you've seen it, you know Spade's character was a childhood actor who was struggling to get back into showbiz as an adult. Anyway, everyone who bumps into him remembers his character's catch phrase, "That's nucking futs!"
I think my kids interpreted it correctly, cuz I saw them glance at each other and grin like they just got away with something.
One of the most embarrassing I've seen is using "pubic" instead of "public." I had a reporter who several desserts (her therapy for when she screwed up) after using the incorrect word in a business story.
The good news is NewsEdit will let you add word exceptions to avoid this. Under Utilities, go to Edit Spelling Exceptions and add "pubic." If you use spell check, it will stop on this word. You can add other words that might be used incorrectly, but off the top of my head I can't think of any.
When I was at City Pages, we had an ongoing contest to see who could get the "f" word in print first.
I won by using a direct quote from "Rent" in a theater review.
Amy Ryan
From Mark T.
As for screw-ups, there was the classic Green Bay Press-Gazette top, front-page headline from about 20 years ago.
The story was about former Gov. Tommy Thompson wielding his veto authority to cut down spending proposals.
Intended: "Thompson pen is a sword"
Published: "Thompson penis a sword"
As a freelancer, I would often see what I could get away with. I've had so many obscenities make it to print I can't count them anymore. I've had F bombs and everything else, but I could never get the F bomb preceded by "mother."
Here's to having one more thing to aim for ...
It today's SPJ, our copy desk changed,
"Local food shelves report minor changes in donations and need in an era of rising gas prices, stagnant wages and increased food prices. This runs contradictory to food shelves nationwide, where many are feeling the pinch of fewer donations coupled with increased need for assistance." to
"Local food pantries report minor changes in donations and need in an era of stagnant wages and rising food and gas prices. Nationwide, many panties are feeling the pinch of fewer donations coupled with increased need for assistance."
Clearly, it should say PANTRIES are feeling the pinch and not PANTIES!
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