>Brill/ and not too disgraceful... The previous German ambassador had to pop up to remonstrate about tabloid banner headlines, some, pretty gross Our newspaper doesn't do tease or wit; it goes for headlines with long explanatory elaboration, oh heavens. Yes. I have noticed your papers are more formal. "Mr Blair" and so on. Goodness that camel headline's dire. >Imagine if British headline writers got work moonlighting on academic titles, "Virgin on the >Ridiculous; Post-humorous Discourse on the Reign of Elizabeth 1."] >Perhaps others might like to give the task a try? I am no good at all at British headlines -- Virgin on the Ridiculous, incidentally, reminds me of one of our leading practicioners -- maybe someone else is Judy Evans, Cardiff --- On Mon, 27/9/10, David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Headlines To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Date: Monday, 27 September, 2010, 18:52 On Sep 27, 2010, at 10:20 AM, Judith Evans wrote: Aren't headlines an odd form? I've heard it said the Sun pays its headline writers a fortune. It was though the News of the World that greeted an England 5-1 win over Germany with "Don't Mention the Score". (The Independent, which is supposed to be above that kind of thing, did it too.) The BBC, I sometimes think,is simply (on occasion) inept. Brill/ British ones seem to assume more knowledge and agreement than our local counterparts do. I don't know what yours are like. But you know this place: small island, relatively massive national media, and so on. Our newspaper doesn't do tease or wit; it goes for headlines with long explanatory elaboration, in the manner of academic books and theses. "Use of illegal drugs up 9 percent, study finds," followed by the subhead, beginning with category of story, "Health/Ecstasy and meth use increased by double digits in 2009, while cocaine use fell." No caps after the first word; little risk of ambiguity. Occasionally, however, local headline writers try for something pithier, "Stuck in a sinkhole, Moses the camel rises from muck with luck." This was a story about a Bactrian camel that someone who either has a rather hazy understanding of geography or who just doesn't care about context, uses in Nativity scenes. Manger, baby Jesus, Asian camel. Of course! Moses got stuck in a hole; the fire brigade pulled him out. Imagine if British headline writers got work moonlighting on academic titles, "Virgin on the Ridiculous; Post-humorous Discourse on the Reign of Elizabeth 1." Perhaps others might like to give the task a try? David Ritchie,Portland, Oregon