Pedants' Paradise

[oddoneout]

I think a bit of competent editorial input might have been useful here.

With poorly paid staff hard to find and retain,

from an article about Labour's nursery places plan.

[Serial_Apologist]

I think a bit of competent editorial input might have been useful here.

from an article about Labour's nursery places plan.

[kernelbogey]

'Government spending kick-started economic activity': I wonder why people still use this expression based on a way of starting a motorcycle that was overtaken by technology decades ago. It's an an odd survival. - IMVHO!

[Pulcinella]

From a letter in today's Sunday Times:

As for prime ministers, has anyone met a poor one?

I've not met one (thankfully) but there have certainly been many that haven't been very good.

Oh, you mean struggling for money (to buy suits and glasses)?

[LMcD]

I think a bit of competent editorial input might have been useful here.

from an article about Labour's nursery places plan.

Perhaps poorly staff are all you need if you've been told that 'a job needs doing badly'.

[oddoneout]

Perhaps poorly staff are all you need if you've been told that 'a job needs doing badly'.

Many such staff are poorly as a result of doing the job...

[LMcD]

Many such staff are poorly as a result of doing the job...

Sorry, I should have said 'poorly paid staff'.

[oddoneout]

This conjured up some slightly disturbing images

Wellington’s false teeth and wolf bones

The article clarifies the clumsy headline, but can't stop the wanderings of my mind...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/oct/08/wellingtons-false-teeth-and-wolf-bones-english-heritage-needs-help-to-record-vast-collection

As an aside I don't know if the lack of any mention of volunteers means that English Heritage doesn't use that avenue in its work or whether it was just an unfortunate omission on the part of the writer. At my former workplace the volunteer Collections Team is essential in monitoring condition and getting the items photographed and digitised for online research access, as the site has just the one curator who has no assistant staff.

[oddoneout]

Another take on the eternal apostrophe issue

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/07/germany-influence-of-english-idiots-apostrophe

[french frank]

Meanwhile, I have had another BBC News online correction accepted Photo of man captioned as having been an RAF colonel. BUT I have to admit I wouldn't have noticed that one if it hadn't been for the fact that the copy some way below said he'd been a corporal ... Sometimes the BBC takes notice

[oddoneout]

In a piece in the local rag about Tom Parker Bowles' book on royal eating habits*(for want of a better way to phrase it) he says that "the King appals waste". An interesting idea...
I have also learned(learnt?) while checking it on line that the American spelling is "appalls", as several of the papers that are also carrying a similar article have opted for that version. Wonder what the book version is?
*Cooking and the Crown

[Serial_Apologist]

I have also learned(learnt?) while checking it on line that the American spelling is "appalls"

Which is the way I would always have spelt it, in line with "appalling", "appalled" etc.

[french frank]

Which is the way I would always have spelt it, in line with "appalling", "appalled" etc.

So enthralling, enthralled, enthrall? Rivalling, rivalled, rivall? Spiralling, spiralled, spirall?

[oliver sudden]

Another take on the eternal apostrophe issue

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/07/germany-influence-of-english-idiots-apostrophe

As far as I’m concerned, Deppenapostroph would better describe the use of a floating acute accent (or indeed grave accent as in Rosis Bar in the article picture) or an opening single quotation mark when trying to use an apostrophe, correct or not. (‘Heberer‘s Traditional Bakery’ (sic, with that non-apostrophe) is an example to be seen in many places across the country.)

[kernelbogey]

So perhaps we can now revert to Knaben's Wunderhorn, avoiding that confusing 'des'...!