Minor chronic irritation about umbrellas
I have a minor chronic irritation with anglo media here: the constant nagging about bringing an umbrella, as here in a Gazette headline. CBC Montreal’s radio folks are very prone to this too, always ordering us to bring an umbrella.
I understand what it’s shorthand for, but I don’t like the nannyish sound of the phrase. I don’t like umbrellas and don’t have one so please, tell me if it’s going to rain, but stop telling me what to do about it.
Chris 10:07 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
My interpretation of that phrase isn’t that it’s shorthand for “it’s going to rain”, but rather it’s shorthand for “it’s going to rain more than a little, will get through your coat, and so you’ll need an umbrella if you want to arrive dry”.
Kevin 10:39 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
The mercury is rising — no it isn’t, nobody’s put mercury into thermometers in decades.
The white stuff — just call it snow.
Flames, blaze — it’s a fire.
Pontiff — the pope.
Michael Black 11:09 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
It’s a folksy way of saying something, just like the air conditioner line you didn’t like.
That thing in the Gazette never sees print. It’s intended to give you the day “at a glance” on the website and is really pretty useless because the stories are elsewhere.
But it matches what the internet should be, intimate and immediate. It took a long time for groups and institutions to grasp that (amd likely came because others were doing it, not because they’d figured it by themselves)
Kate 11:27 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
Michael Black, I just ran a search and can’t find any reference to my not liking the mention of air conditioners. I’m sure you’re right but I wish I could remember what I wrote!
mare 14:18 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
I can’t wait until the phrase “Today, you might want to wear a mask.” will come into vogue.
PatrickC 14:55 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
Wasn’t there a thread a while back about the French press using “la langue de Shakespeare/Molière” instead of plain English and French?
But my pet peeve about “intimate” journalism is when broadcasters say things like “the weather for your Thursday”. Isn’t it their Thursday too, or do they have their own micro-climate? And don’t get me started on headlines of the “why we love X” variety.
Kate 15:25 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
PatrickC, French has a long list of periphrases for other languages, but I’ve observed before that when a journalist or editorialist veers into mentioning the “langue de Shakespeare” it usually telegraphs a certain displeasure.
Ian 16:59 on 2020-09-08 Permalink
…which is funny because Shakespeare’s English bears little resemblance to modern English.