“Emeriti” or “’emeritus,'” not “emeritus”

mlatsch Jan 04, 2013 29 Comments

from today’s DNT:

“Other retired UMD faculty members have been identified as emeritus when writing opinion pieces in the pages of the News Tribune. . .”

“emeriti” = referring to the people in question

“’emeritus'” = implying a quote from the opinion pieces in question

“emeritus” = cognitive dissonance

Can’t see it any other way. Sticks in my craw.

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29 Comments

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

Your last two sentences are fragments.

mlatsch

about 12 years ago 

@Barrett: Thx. "regrettable oversight" "introduced during the editing process" "present and future business models to monetize the newspaper industry" 

http://www.onthemedia.org/2010/jul/16/hot-off-the-presses-otms-new-jingle/

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

I guess my point is that humans make mistakes. I would love to see someone who performed their job 100% perfectly 100% of the time.

mlatsch

about 12 years ago 

If such a person exists, it sure isn't me. I figure tagging something as "bitching" implies a certain amount of self-deprecatory self-awareness.

wskyline

about 12 years ago 

Barrett, isn't it the job of a newspaper to print work that is edited properly and is nearly perfect in regards to grammar, spelling, and writing in general? That is part of what we pay the newspapers for (yes, those of us that still pay for the paper) so it is completely in line to complain when the writers and editors don't do their jobs properly. I read the online version of the paper daily, and there are so many mistakes that it can be often frustrating to read. I have made comments to the paper in regards to errors in the past, but have felt like some sort of tattle-tale, and felt that it is not my job to be reporting mistakes, they should be carefully edited before they get posted online or printed. I understand that we are getting more up to the minute information, and they are rushing to get out the first story, but I still think we can demand a higher quality of writing than we have been seeing lately out of the DNT.

Herzog

about 12 years ago 

Mighty blows have been landed here, taking notes Raymond?

http://lonesomelacowboy.tumblr.com/post/39601019210/stevie-nicks-and-bob-jones

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

Touché. I'm just trying to keep perspective. There's a difference between one accidentally omitted apostrophe among millions of correctly used words, and, say, the horrendously misused apostrophes you see on downtown awnings. One is a simple mistake, whereas the other shows complete ignorance.

Barrett Chase

about 12 years ago 

wskyline, there's some truth in what you're saying. But when you notice that mistake, isn't it more in line to simply email the DNT and point out the mistake so that it can be fixed, rather than come to PDD to hold them up for public ridicule? It's the job of the DTA to drive their buses safely and efficiently, but if one of their drivers runs over the curb while making a turn, should I come here to point it out?

wskyline

about 12 years ago 

I think you misunderstood me, or I didn't make myself clear; I didn't mean that I come here and make comments about the errors. I have e-mailed or written on their fb wall to bring errors to their direct attention (politely), but when it gets to the point of noticing errors weekly or daily, I don't want to become some crazy lady that e-mails them constantly and becomes and office joke. So, instead I've kept it to e-mailing them about misimformation they printed about a break-in at my house (they stated that a gun was stolen out of a car, when in fact our house was entered and a gun stolen from the house, which is much more concerning to me and my neighbors than a car prowl), and major gliches in their online postings,and  skipping the rest. Like I said, its the editors job, not mine, to find other mistakes and keep them out of print. 

And if the DTA isn't providing the safe ride that you pay it for, then yes, contact the DTA, but by all means point it out wherever else you want, these companies have public responsibilites so should be held responsible. Bumping the curb once may not be a big deal, but if it happens every time you ride, that indicates a bigger problem. Bad drivers... bad editors...

Claire

about 12 years ago 

Mlatsch, you are complaining that the DNT used the singular form rather than the plural form of a Latin word in this article about Jim Fetzer's claim that Israeli death squads collaborated with the US government in the murders at Sandy Hook? Are you even kidding me? You know what sticks in my craw? The fact that the DNT ran on the front page, above the fold, this bullshit story! The guy is a known conspiracy theorist whose latest theories have 0 basis in fact -- and the paper gives him and his crackpot theories legitimacy by running this story. This story is much, much worse than DNT reporters' trolling the local right wing blogs looking for story ideas. The fact that the reporter and copy editor didn't know that the plural of emeritus is emeriti pales in comparison to the fact that this story didn't belong in the DNT in the first place. What a load of crap. Shame on the DNT for putting it out there. This is how I feel when I see Ann Coulter on the network talk shows, spewing her venom.

Danny

about 12 years ago 

It wasn't too long ago that the proprietor of the DCBWatch blog mentioned this nut's theory about Republicans shooting down Wellstone's plane and saying that he found it "interesting." Funny.

Claire

about 12 years ago 

Now, if UMD had sanctioned Fetzer in response to his expressing such theories and broadcasting his association to the university, THAT would be a new story. I really would love the author of this story -- or anyone else associated with the DNT -- to explain why it ran, and why it ran on the front page of the local "newspaper of record."

Dorkus

about 12 years ago 

Typos aside, that article is ridiculous. 

So much "Evidence" that is nothing more than examples of poor reporting by all the news agencies who were scrambling to get a scoop on the story. 

What's that you say? They detained several people but there was only one shooter?  They questioned a guy who was near the woods wearing camouflage pants and a dark jacket? That must mean that there were multiple shooters rather than the logical conclusion that police detained anyone deemed a potential threat, or matched the shooters description. 


They point out these inaccuracies in the story as if it was proof of a cover up, rather than proof of the exact opposite. If it was a massive conspiracy, they would not leave so many loose ends. 

/rant

Herzog

about 12 years ago 

I was just as in Duluth as all you people when Wellstone's plane spiraled out of the sky like a sack of wet potatoes.  It was balmy that day. Million dollar planes have de-icing equipment. And you should also remember the Bush, bragging about their "new secret weapon," the Electromagnetic Pulse Machine, the day or so after the crash, and how this would bring decisive victory in Iraq, now that they were definitely going.  I remember this because it stunk, like shit-writing on the wall.  If they hadn't been so blatantly obvious about it, I might've believed it was an accident, and all that other shit about the lousy plane and pilot. But they were that stupid.  
I guess I don't like how the catch phrase "conspiracy theory" suddenly makes someone like Oswald an incredible shot, able to kill from multiple directions with one bullet.  The fact is, Kennedy was shot every which way but loose.  That's why they were chomping at the bit to stick him in the ground.  I can't speak for Fetzer otherwise, but just because he's out there and the DNT covers him, doesn't mean inside jobs haven't been going on since Julius Ceasar.


... "If we look at ALL the relevant evidence and employ the scientific method of inference to the best explanation, we must conclude that the theory that Wellstone was assassinated is far more probable than the official theory, according to which his airplane crash was an accident."

Danny

about 12 years ago 

Herzog rules.

DaVe

about 12 years ago 

Y'all are letting the actual content of the DNT article get in the way of a good PDD grammar dust-up! I bet an alarm goes off in PDD's lavish underground headquarters, and instead of saying "release the hounds", someone says " release the English Majors."

Soren d'Hillside

about 12 years ago 

Dave, that's what us English majors do, and we do it well, good.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

DaVe, get your comma inside your quotation marks, you heathen. And while we're at it, dustup is one word and you have an extra space in your second quoted phrase, which is causing the quotation mark at the front of it to appear in reverse.

Soren, your misuse of the pronoun "we" was probably intentional, but nonetheless I send scorn your way, too. Scoooorn on you all!

hbh1

about 12 years ago 

How in the hell would I know about Fetzer's continuous journey down the wicked conspiracy hole if the DNT didn't print it? I sure don't read his blog, or the DCB or whatever other nightmares of chatter-insanity are out there, so I'm glad the DNT keeps me posted. Poor guy. I'd hate to live in that brain. As far as being censured, Claire, surely you aren't advocating that retired professors be censured for statements of fact (i.e. that he is a professor emeritus of UMD). He can be as wing-nutty as he wants; he still gets to say where he used to work. 

And grammar is fun. I had no idea about the emeriti/emeritus dealy-bob. Cool beans.

Claire

about 12 years ago 

hbh1, I am certainly not advocating that Fetzer be censured -- he indeed is free to spout whatever crazy nonsense he wants to spout, and to associate himself with UMD when doing so. My point is that this is not a news story that the DNT should be wasting ink on, that Fetzer is spouting this nonsense.  It's the kind of crap I'd expect to read in the Weekly World News. This would, however, be a news story if Fetzer was spouting his latest theories, and UMD censured him, or responded in some way to him. Now, that would be information that would be pertinent to our lives.

Anyway, Fetzer now has taken over Progressive Action, and is posting all sorts of links to other conspiracy theories about Sandy Hook. Sigh...

DaVe

about 12 years ago 

Paul, "dust-up" is a hyphenated word in my dictionary, though it  appears without the hyphen elsewhere. We all talk pretty one day.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

Once it settles, I'm not going to be the one who wipes up the hyphen. That's all I'm saying.

emmadogs

about 12 years ago 

May I just say that two of my favorite things about Duluth are:  the obsession with appropriate use of language and punctuation that is shared by all citizens except those making awnings for local bars; and the DNT's use of whack-hyphen-job locals in their lead stories.

I totally love this city.

Soren d'Hillside

about 12 years ago 

DaVe and Paul, I trust each of you is using a Merriam-Webster dictionary, the most frequent choice of English major professionals.

K. Praslowicz

about 12 years ago 

Since we're talking about the DNT's editing, and I haven't picked up a print copy in years -- have they fixed Family Circus yet?

Herzog

about 12 years ago 

We couldn't pack any more nerdliness into this peanut jar if we processed and hydrolyzed it.  Would somebody please say something dangerous? Or write a dangerous song perhaps?  About improper grammar.  I need you to compel me toward a jealous rage over your creative lawlessness here. All this talk of hyphenation doesn't seem to be working.  

 To illustrate this point of what happens when we go into something half-assed, witness what happens to the Queens tonight at Lambeau.

Beverly

about 12 years ago 

@hbh1: You say this clears up "the emeriti/emeritus dealy-bob," but I don't understand what error is being pointed out here, or what this post has helped you understand.

@mlatsch: Are you saying there should be quote marks around the word "emeritus," or are you saying the word "emeriti" should be used? My Webster's New World dictionary makes no mention of a definition of "cognitive dissonance."

I didn't work on this story, but I am a copy editor at the DNT, so I'm curious.

Beverly

about 12 years ago 

OK, I see now. You DO have the quote marks around emeritus, which I didn't notice. And the last part is a joke. All righty.

Paul Lundgren

about 12 years ago 

By the way, things are heating up nationwide on this topic. From the Onion:


Four copy editors killed in ongoing AP Style, Chicago Manual gang violence

NEW YORK—Law enforcement officials confirmed Friday that four more copy editors were killed this week amid ongoing violence between two rival gangs divided by their loyalties to the The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual Of Style. "At this time we have reason to believe the killings were gang-related and carried out by adherents of both the AP and Chicago styles, part of a vicious, bloody feud to establish control over the grammar and usage guidelines governing American English," said FBI spokesman Paul Holstein, showing reporters graffiti tags in which the word "anti-social" had been corrected to read "antisocial." "The deadly territory dispute between these two organizations, as well as the notorious MLA Handbook gang, has claimed the lives of more than 63 publishing professionals this year alone." Officials also stated that an innocent 35-year-old passerby who found himself caught up in a long-winded dispute over use of the serial, or Oxford, comma had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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