Media Miscues and More

Errant Broadcasters

Sadly, I must report that Todd Blackledge, quarterback of Penn State's 1982 national championship team, committed a miscue during his commentary on the Penn State-Ohio State game Saturday. Speaking of the rush put on the OSU quarterback, he said that Penn State was "trying to force him into an errant mistake." Not really a redundancy; more of a superfluosity. Much like Tim McCarver's comment about "a respite of rest." Proof once again that when these ex-jocks use any out-of-the ordinary word (e.g.,errant, respite), they run the risk of making fools of themselves.

Literallys of the Week

Mika Brezinski, she of "Morning Joe" fame on MSNBC, really needs to back off the literallys. She was literallying all over the broadcast yesterday. Example: "Newt Gingrich is literally on his high horse." Mika, baby, it means "actually, really." I doubt that Newt rides horses, high or otherwise.

Book Banter
Am trying to move up delivery of The War on Words book. It went on press today -- 1,000 copies. Should be here by end of the month. In the meantime, electronic versions are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Sony and iBooks.
    Speaking of the book, an old friend who has bought the Kindle version sent along these words for "lexiphiles" -- lovers of words:

You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish.

To write with a broken pencil is . . . pointless.

When fish are in schools they sometimes . . . take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar . . . got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles  . . . U.C.L.A.

The batteries were given out . . . free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married. . . . They fought tooth and nail.

A will is a . . . dead giveaway.

With her marriage, she got a new name . .. . and a dress.

A boiled egg is . . . hard to beat.

When you've seen one shopping center . . . you've seen a mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was . . . resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? . . . He's all right now.

A bicycle can't stand alone . . . it is two tired.

When a clock is hungry . . .. it goes back four seconds

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine . . . was fully recovered.

He had a photographic memory . . . which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be . .. . exposed in the end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, . . . she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: . . . a jab well done.

OK, so some of these are real groaners, but worth a laugh or two.