Symantics Issue #1

I love the double negative. In news writing, it can often leave the meaning of a headline vague.

Here is the headline from CNN:

Bush Speaks to Anti-Abortion Protesters
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/01/24/bush.abortion.ap/index.html

That headline could be read to mean The president is speaking to those protesting the anti-abortion movement.

Or, it could be read to mean The president is speaking to those protesters who are Anti-Abortion.

Whether anti-abortion is a noun or an adjective makes this headline particularily fun.

One Reply to “Symantics Issue #1”

  1. You make your “I’ve taken two courses in linguistics” sister proud.
    By the way, I think I get to continue the program i started at Hamline here at UNC — and with a course free per semester! Yeah employee benifits!

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