this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2024
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[–] Stalinwolf@lemmy.ca 37 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (12 children)

Why the comma? That use of a comma is weird, right? Is it just me? They used one adjective. This wasn't a drug-infested, cum-covered sex den. This was merely a drug-infested sex den.

[–] FarFarAway@startrek.website 11 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (3 children)

I think they're presenting it as two separate problems. Drug infested is not describing the sex den. It is drug infested. It is a sex den.

Edit: Here's a good explanation: "A comma performs another kind of abbreviation in a headline, connecting two ideas without a linking word or phrase (often and)

[–] jh29a@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

The problem with that interpretation is that you can't have "libraries turning into drug-infested, libraries turning into sex dens." because "drug-infested" is not a noun phrase a library can turn into like "sex dens" is. I also tried misinterpreting this comma as a comma between two adjectives, which doesn't work because "sex" is not an adjective. Maybe "Libraries turning drug-infested, into sex dens" fits your interpretation better. Does it?

[–] FarFarAway@startrek.website 4 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I suppose, yes. The library is turning drug infested and into a sex den. The comma is replacing all the words "and into a." Which is essentially what you wrote. I guess i was trying to point out they were two separate situations and that drug infested is not describing the sex den. I was also trying to establish that commas can replace words and phrases. Although the example I gave above only replaced one word, it would make sense they would replace other words, as well, to shorten the headline.

I guess there are actual headline specific grammatical rules that are followed. While not a comprehensive list, some of these rules include leaving out auxiliary and some joining verbs, articles, conjunctions, etc, and replacing some words with various punctuation. Apparently, the list goes on.

[–] MisterFrog@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

As a side-note to your helpful link, I really dislike it when headlines use a comma in place of an "and". Like, use "&" if you really must.

Print is not exactly the main way people read the news now anyway, I think they can spare the pixels!

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