Whatever happened to proof checks?

English, as I indicated yesterday -- using some newspaper examples -- can trip up even those who consider themselves competent in the language, this writer included.

But sometimes all it needs to avert sloppy or ambiguous phrasing, or downright gaffes, is to have a fresh pair of eyes (someone competent in English of course) take a look at the copy. The ironic clanger in this banner poster below (promoting a toastmasters' course!) should have been spotted before the banner was put up by that particular PA community club:

To return to headlines that seem not quite right, I was initially puzzled by this one here:

My reaction was, "Why was he keeping his mum (mother) on some kind of HIV status? It made no sense!" I then realised the headline writer was using the idiomatic expression "to keep mum" ie, "to keep one's mouth shut". But was the writer aware that the idiom can be modified, using "stay" instead of "keep"? The headline would then be made unambiguous:

Man jailed for
staying mum
on HIV status

Here's another headline (the one at the page bottom) which conjures up an absurb image:

The headline says, "Police chief can authorise anyone to carry weapons". Huh?? Anyone?

Indeed, it says so in the text: "The Police Commissioner will have new powers to authorise anyone to carry handcuffs and weapons such as batons in public." But the text then goes to put matters in context: "Previously, only police and law enforcement officers could do so, while private security guards needed permission from the police."

Aha! Clearly, the intent here is a red-tape cutting exercise to enable the Police Commissioner -- or his representative! -- to expedite such approval for private security agencies. It's like the income tax letter you receive... it has the big boss' signature on it, but do you really think he/she had personally run through your letter?

The headline above was ST's. TODAY's headline on the same story was:

Batons, handcuffs for
private security officers

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This last headline-example below (page bottom) may seem absurd, but it is actually acceptable:

One might ask, "How does one dig oneself out of a hole?" After all, the more familiar idiom is "to dig oneself into a hole", ie, to get into trouble.

But the website below explains that there is another idiom, "to dig oneself out of a hole", meaning "to escape/extricate oneself from an adverse situation", as women's tennis Number One, Caroline Wozniacki (in the story) had done!

http://www.english-slang.com/eng/american/i_d/1797-dig-out

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I'll wrap it up with these quoteworthy gems from legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who turned 70 on Tuesday (17 Jan):

"Sonny Liston is nothing. The man can't talk. The man can't fight. The man needs talking lessons. The man needs boxing lessons. And since he's gonna fight me, he needs falling lessons." -- Before fighting world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in Feb 1964.

"I've seen George Foreman shadow boxing and the shadow won." -- Before knocking out Foreman in their "Rumble in the Jungle" clash in 1974.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, his hands can't hit what his eyes can't see." -- Before that Foreman fight.

"It will be a killer and a chiller and a thriller when I get the gorilla in Manila ." -- Before beating [Smokin'] Joe Frazier in the "Thrilla in Manila" in 1975.