The Pedants' Revolt

[SteveH]

A thread for grammatical, spelling, punctuational, malapropistical and other errors spotted online (not posts or comments by individuals on social media  - that fruit hangs too low. Posts from organisations which ought to know better are ok, though.)
To start with, here's a classic malapropism from 'Premier Christian News' on Facebook: "wonderkid" should of course be "wunderkind". It may be that PCN is simply repeating an already-existing malapropism, but it still is one.

[Nearly Sane]

Isn't that just a direct translation of the word into English?

[bluehillside Retd.]

For some serious pedantry the recent flooding has led to a spate (ironically) of "River X has burst its banks" headlines when in fact rivers almost never "burst" their banks. They overflow them or overtop them, but they don't burst them.

Oh, and what it is with the BBC Sports page frequently telling then that eg "Liverpool have closed the gap on Arsenal" when Liverpool are still behind Arsenal? They've narrowed the gap, not closed it.     

[SteveH]

Isn't that just a direct translation of the word into English?

Yes, but given the similarity of sound, I suspect that it began as an unconscious malapropism.

[SteveH]

For some serious pedantry the recent flooding has led to a spate (ironically) of "River X has burst its banks" headlines when in fact rivers almost never "burst" their banks. They overflow them or overtop them, but they don't burst them.

Oh, and what it is with the BBC Sports page frequently telling then that eg "Liverpool have closed the gap on Arsenal" when Liverpool are still behind Arsenal? They've narrowed the gap, not closed it.   

Good points. I suppose "burst its banks" caught on because of the alliteration. Still wrong, though.

[Nearly Sane]

Yes, but given the similarity of sound, I suspect that it began as an unconscious malapropism.

Hard to be sure though. All it takes is for someone to just suggest that a term in English which is the same meaning would make more sense rather than usung a German term for no benefit. And given it's now the usual term, I don't so that you can say anyone now using it is in any sense wrong.

[SteveH]

Is it now the usual term? I've never encountered it before!

[Nearly Sane]

Is it now the usual term? I've never encountered it before!

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/wonderkid

[bluehillside Retd.]

SteveH,

Is it now the usual term? I've never encountered it before!

“England hope to lure back Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin after the 15-year-old netted 10 goals against Liverpool's youth team... with the forward currently playing for Denmark”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12772605/England-bid-lure-Arsenal-wonderkid-Chido-Obi-Martin-scoring-10-goals-against-Liverpools-youth-team-15-year-old-forward-currently-paying-Denmark.html

[Nearly Sane]

SteveH,

“England hope to lure back Arsenal wonderkid Chido Obi-Martin after the 15-year-old netted 10 goals against Liverpool's youth team... with the forward currently playing for Denmark”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12772605/England-bid-lure-Arsenal-wonderkid-Chido-Obi-Martin-scoring-10-goals-against-Liverpools-youth-team-15-year-old-forward-currently-paying-Denmark.html

Looking at cited usage in different on line dictionaries, I wonder, kid, whether there is a 'class' divide. Wonderkid seems to appear most for sports, wunderkind for arts.

[SqueakyVoice]

This one? https://www.redmolotov.com/the-pedants-revolt-greetings-card?search=Pedants%20revolt

[jeremyp]

Hard to be sure though. All it takes is for someone to just suggest that a term in English which is the same meaning would make more sense rather than usung a German term for no benefit. And given it's now the usual term, I don't so that you can say anyone now using it is in any sense wrong.

Yes, but since this is the pedants' thread (nice to see the apostrophe in the right place in the title), I would argue that the English translation should have a space between "wonder" and "kid". Also, "child" might be more appropriate.

[Nearly Sane]

Yes, but since this is the pedants' thread (nice to see the apostrophe in the right place in the title), I would argue that the English translation should have a space between "wonder" and "kid". Also, "child" might be more appropriate.

I think the closeness to a foreign word already in usage though would just appeal to someone trying to make ot more understandable. In the absence of any evidence that it's a malapropism as opposed to a deliberate piece of word play, and a well established one, I don't see how it fits here.