NEW YORK—Law enforcement officials confirmed Friday that four more copy editors were killed this week amid ongoing violence between two rival gangs divided by their loyalties to the The Associated Press Stylebook and The Chicago Manual Of Style. “At this time we have reason to believe the killings were gang-related and carried out by adherents of both the AP and Chicago styles, part of a vicious, bloody feud to establish control over the grammar and usage guidelines governing American English,” said FBI spokesman Paul Holstein, showing reporters graffiti tags in which the word “anti-social” had been corrected to read “antisocial.” “The deadly territory dispute between these two organizations, as well as the notorious MLA Handbook gang, has claimed the lives of more than 63 publishing professionals this year alone.” Officials also stated that an innocent 35-year-old passerby who found himself caught up in a long-winded dispute over use of the serial, or Oxford, comma had died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
I suppose this could only be funny to an English-nerd. So…
*giggle*
“American English”, that well-known oxymoron
.
I have an urge to tag walls with OED now.
Hey, I am an American, and I resent that! I don’t deny it, but I resent it. And this is hysterical.
It is, yes. “To boldly split infinitives that no man has split before”. RIP the great Douglas Adams
.
I’m another nerd so I’m reblogging this! Thanks Colin. This really made my day.
Pingback: “4 Copy Editors Killed In …” the funniest spoof I’ve read in ages! « Meeka's Mind
As a result of visiting Meeka’s Mind I came to be entertained- and was. Thank you. Very funny piece.
Nothing more dangerous than an English nerd armed with a handful of comas, semi-colons, colons and “gasp” explanation marks!
I have just discovered this thread. How dare you compare the sacred Chicago to any of these low level publications? Do you not know that it stands alone, that it is the one, the only authority? I am thinking about contacting the gang…
Hey, where did I get this auful pink trianglular face? My face should be represented by a circle. I am much fatter than this thing, nor do I have a moustache!
As a practising subeditor and sole representative here of a dying breed, I can only say it was a merciful release for them all.
But a gunshot wound? No, no, no, no!
A true subeditor must fall upon his spike!