Crash blossoms

Posted by Baceseras on February 04, 2010 at 15:23

In Reply to: Crash blossoms posted by ESC on February 01, 2010 at 13:31:

: Crash blossoms -- News headlines "that encourage alternate readings." Example: "Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge." The term comes from the following: "Mike O'Connell, an American editor based in Sapporo, Japan, spotted the headline 'Violinist Linked to JAL Crash Blossoms" and wondered, 'What's a crash blossom?' (The article, from the newspaper Japan Today, described the successful musical career of Diana Yukawa, whose father died in a 1985 Japan Airlines plane crash.)" Source: New York Times, January 31, 2010, On Language: Crash Blossoms by Ben Zimmer.

[Joe Carter at the 'First Things/First Thoughts' web-log picked up the item and, among the replies, came a claim from Danny Bloom, the copy editor who suggested taking "crash blossoms" to label headlines of this sort, that he was only kidding and now is chagrined by his success. The third reply of four so far at: [Dead link removed - ed] - Baceseras.]