I really enjoyed the headlines listed below, from actual news sources (found on website: http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/badheds.html). One thing I noticed is that legal jargon tends to trip up headline writers--appeal, case in just a few of these--because words that have a very specific connotation in legal terms have every day meanings that are quite different.
Another problem with a lot of these headlines that makes them so hilarious is the confusion over subject. With headlines, leaving out an "it" or unclear terms means that the reader is confused about who did what to whom. My favorite is "Enraged cow injures farmer with ax." Obviously, the farmer had the ax, but because there are so few words in the headline, it seems like the cow has the ax. I worked at a dairy once, and let me tell you, the last thing you want is an angry cow armed with an ax!
In terms of my headline, I found a headline from my hometown newspaper, the Lexington Minuteman, from September 13:
Word-renowed pianist at Hancock Church
Come on, Minuteman, that's an embarassing typo. (The reason I kept this paper was the police log: A woman reported that her vehicle was damaged while parked near the skate park. Her car, a hatchback, had a dent in the rear door that may have been caused by a watermelon. That police entry deserves a story!!!)
So here's a list of bad headlines, courtesy of http://english.glendale.cc.ca.us/badheds.html:
Something went wrongin jet crash, expert says
Police begin campaignto run down jaywalkers
Safety experts say school buspassengers should be belted
Drunk gets nine months in violin case
Survivor of siamese twins joins parents
Farmer Bill dies in house
Iraqi head seeks arms
Is there a ring of debris around Uranus?
Stud tires out
Prostitutes appeal to Pope
Panda mating fails;Veterinarian takes over
Soviet virgin landsshort of goal again
British left waffleson Falkland Islands
Eye drops off shelf
Teacher strikes idle kids
Reagan wins on budget,but more lies ahead
Squad helps dog bite victim
Enraged cow injures farmer with ax
Plane too close to ground, crash probe told
Miners refuse to work after death
Juvenile court to try shooting defendant
Stolen painting found by tree
Two soviet ships collide, one dies
2 sisters reunited after18 years in checkout counter
Killer sentenced to die forsecond time in 10 years
Never withhold herpes infection from loved one
Drunken drivers paid $1000 in '84
War dims hope for peace
If strike isn't settled quickly,it may last a while
Cold wave linked to temperatures
Enfiels couple slain; Police suspect homicide
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