August 30, 2011

Interesting op-ed on inaccurate quotes

Brian Morton wrote a short, interesting article for the New York Times today. I don't usually read op-eds by people I don't know but I dove into this one because I hated the title:

"Falser Words Were Never Spoken"

That was the best he could come up with? Falser? This is an example of a sentence that should not have seen the light of publication. Editors should have rewritten it instantly to avoid use of the almost illiterate, though strictly allowable, word "falser". It's just not good usage, kids. "Is Christianity falser than other religions?" See how silly that sounds? (Though the sentiment is in the right place.)

Anyway, much to my surprise the article is interesting. And from my days of working at a newspaper I know headlines are usually written, or rewritten, by the copy edit desk. So I don't blame Morton for the sad headline, especially after he turned out such a good article. Give it a shot and see what you think.

But kids, promise me you won't use "falser" at home. Okay?

2 comments:

Anna Guess Pick said...

Don't you think it was just a pun on "Truer words were never spoken"?

writenow said...

I suppose so, Annie. I've always considered puns to be the lowest of low forms of speech, so I'm fairly impervious to them. Coulda missed it. Ya got me. Still, I wouldn't use the word for any reason. (And again, this harkens back to headline writers, doesn't it? They're a punny lot.)