Zarro
Active Member
Surely a Yachting Magazine should not use the word "stop" when reporting on a non-stop round the world race, for a competitor passing a gate?
Accurate Reporting
- Thread starter Zarro
- Start date
zoidberg
Well-Known Member
That's a presumption of mag staff writers caring even a little about what words actually mean. Just like presidents.....
Zarro
Active Member
And I bet they do not get paid nearly as much as Presidents! I should perhaps have said in my original post that I would not be a bit surprised if the report had been in a tabloid, but in a yachting magazine..........
I remember another gaff in YM a few years ago when someone said "above" rather than "North" of xxxxx. Sue Pelly entirely agreed with me and said she would try to educate the writers! I think it was actually a translation from a French report, but no excuse for not correcting such errors.
I remember another gaff in YM a few years ago when someone said "above" rather than "North" of xxxxx. Sue Pelly entirely agreed with me and said she would try to educate the writers! I think it was actually a translation from a French report, but no excuse for not correcting such errors.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
It is written by a journalist, they never let facts get in the way of a good story.
macd
Well-Known Member
"Upper" and "lower" are common in French and Spanish geographical names. As in English place names, they can relate to elevation, but also to latitude, so the error was perhaps entirely in the translation. The Spanish Rias Altas and Rias Bajas are perhaps amongst the best-known examples to sailors. The state of California was once known (and often still is, in Mexico) as Upper California, Lower California now being better known as simply the Baja peninsula.
As you write, it's still no excuse for such mistakes in a sailing context, where matters of true "up" and, especially "down", have quite serious connotations
macd
Well-Known Member
You're lucky there are no brainless stereotypes about Scots. Oh, wait...
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The phrase 'higher latitudes' is often used, as is 'above the Arctic Circle'.
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Very true.
Er um but, journalists are communicators in this case writing for a specialist publication with a very knowledgeable audience.
macd
Well-Known Member
The OP cited a case. You stereotyped, which is at best idle wherever it's found. I suggest it's beneath you.
Bav32
Well-Known Member
Any of the older member recall The Navy Lark on the BBC Light program? Left a bit , Right a bit - Bang!
alan_d
Well-Known Member
But even in a sailing context gaffe meaning blunder has an e at the end.
Neeves
Well-Known Member
prv
Well-Known Member
I think that's considering the numerical values, though, because it's also applied to extreme southerly locations.
Pete
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
If you really want to get confused, have a look at a map of the continent of Antarctica. The South Pole is in the middle of the map, and USUALLY, the Greenwich meridian points up, though other orientations have been used. West Antarctica (a.k.a. Lesser Antarctica) is the bit that is mainly on the left hand side of the map, and East Antarctica (a.k.a. Greater Antarctica) on the right. If you stand at (say) McMurdo Base, on Ross Island at the southernmost limit of the Ross Sea and look north, West Antarctica is on your right - in other words, East of you!! and East Antarctica is on your left- i.e.West of you. I suppose you can justify the naming in that East Antarctica is mainly in the Eastern hemisphere, and vice-versa, but it is definitely a bit strange on the ground. The Lesser and Greater designations, while making much more sense geographically, are not widely used.
I had a long running battle withthe editor of one scientific journal who insisted on every map having a north arrow on it. He was immune to my protestations that, while it was generally a Good Thing, it made no sense at all on a map including the South Pole, where North could be in any direction you chose!
I had a long running battle withthe editor of one scientific journal who insisted on every map having a north arrow on it. He was immune to my protestations that, while it was generally a Good Thing, it made no sense at all on a map including the South Pole, where North could be in any direction you chose!
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Yes. I was just trying to point out that writing "above 30 degrees, 50 minutes north" rather than "North of... " is not such a great blooper. Context is important, of course, "above 30 degrees 50 minutes south" is hopelessly ambiguous.
Old Bumbulum
Well-Known Member
Surely if you stand on the S pole every direction is north of you and there cannot be any east or west?
AntarcticPilot
Well-Known Member
Yes, but there is East and Weest at every other point - and I indicated a point well away from the pole. However, that was exactly my point in my dispute with the editor!