LINGUIST List 14.570

Wed Feb 26 2003

Media: SFC: Prescriptivist spoof

Editor for this issue: Steve Moran <stevelinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. Karen S. Chung, Media: SFC: Prescriptivist spoof

 There's a spoof on prescriptivism in the Dec. 1, 2002 online issue
of the _San Francisco Chronicle_, 'Cuisine' section, entitled: "Just a
Soupcon of Clarity, Please: From soup to nuts to the home office", by
Herbert Gold. Those interested in unergatives in English will find
this of special interest!

 Here are the first two paragraphs:

 Recently I purchased several cans of Campbell's Chunky "Soup That
Eats Like a Meal," attracted by the bold yellow headline on the
cans. I knew this stunt would really thrill my children.
 Unfortunately, when I opened the first can, it ate nothing! It
refused to eat! I then heated it; still no eating. We gathered around
the pot to watch, but it did not respond. A little steam and bubbling,
but no nibbling, not a lick.

 The URL:


http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2002/12/01/IN66701.DTL

 Thanks to Prof. Chris Wen-chao Li of San Francisco State
University (wetchameleonyahoo.com http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~wenchao/)
for forwarding this link to me.

 Karen Steffen Chung
 http://ccms.ntu.edu.tw/~karchung/
 http://www.topica.com/lists/phonetics/