August 28, 2000

3:05 PM

You've got to hand it to the British. First they create the world's most dangerous joke, and now they've created the world's deadliest exam. When headlines go bad.
posted by aaron (4 comments total)

Wow, remind me to never take a police exam.
posted by mathowie at 4:27 PM on August 28, 2000

"quiz" has long been headlinese for "question".
posted by dhartung at 9:19 AM on August 29, 2000

I know that. So what? Doesn't absolve the editors from the requirement that the headline be written without double entendre possibilities.
posted by aaron at 11:01 AM on August 29, 2000

Requirement?! Requirement?!

The hometown newspaper had an inveterate punster as headline writer. Maybe I'm used to it. But it's always seemed to me that most of them are at least aware of the alternate meanings ....

There are really only two headline requirements: one, that it fit in the available space; and two, that it get people to read the story ...
posted by dhartung at 3:59 PM on August 29, 2000