Boat sinks off Gt Yarmouth

[bushwacka]

Four people escape 'almost certain death' as yacht sinks

 

[MontyMariner]

"Reports stated that those on board had abandoned the boat and boarded a life raft.
A liferaft from the yacht was found empty"
All found onboard the yacht - They must have seen the sense of staying put and the danger of trying to get into the raft.

 

[KevinV]

That looks pretty hairy!

 

[newtothis]

'Almost certain death' sounds like 'partially pregnant' and 'nearly wholly innocent'.

 

[stephen_h]

Almost certainly bad journalism...

 

[Minerva]

Sadly they haven’t “escaped almost certain death” - it’s still coming to us all sometime.

And on that note, happy Thursday!

 

[Tranona]

'Almost certain death' sounds like 'partially pregnant' and 'nearly wholly innocent'.

It is just a figure of speech to indicate the seriousness of their situation.

Would you prefer the old fashioned *in mortal danger"?

Pretty safe to assume that without the intervention of the rescuers those 4 people would probably have not survived. Of course it may be that they had boarded the liferaft and been advised by the rescuers to return to the relative safety of the boat Important thing is that they are safe.

 

[newtothis]

It is just a figure of speech to indicate the seriousness of their situation.

Would you prefer the old fashioned *in mortal danger"?

Pretty safe to assume that without the intervention of the rescuers those 4 people would probably have not survived. Of course it may be that they had boarded the liferaft and been advised by the rescuers to return to the relative safety of the boat Important thing is that they are safe.

Does a funeral march play every time you enter a room?

 

[Tranona]

Does a funeral march play every time you enter a room?

Why would it?

Do you have to nit pick everything? You presumably understood what the report was saying or are you suggesting it is all a joke and there was no danger to life?

Language is there to communicate and can take many forms. There is nothing in the report about either pregnancy or innocence so not sure why you think the phrases sound the same. Maybe you need new hearing aids.

 

[Bobc]

Mild embaressment doesn't make for a very good headline.

 

[GEM43]

It is just a figure of speech to indicate the seriousness of their situation.

Would you prefer the old fashioned *in mortal danger"?

Pretty safe to assume that without the intervention of the rescuers those 4 people would probably have not survived. Of course it may be that they had boarded the liferaft and been advised by the rescuers to return to the relative safety of the boat Important thing is that they are safe.

Personally I would prefer “mortal danger”, it’s more accurate and less tabloid than “almost certain death”. But then I detest how anything extraordinary is now “awesome”. I fully accept that that makes me an “old git”. Fair enough.

 

[capnsensible]

Personally I would prefer “mortal danger”, it’s more accurate and less tabloid than “almost certain death”. But then I detest how anything extraordinary is now “awesome”. I fully accept that that makes me an “old git”. Fair enough.

Are you an awesome old git though?

 

[ShaneO]

Personally I would prefer “mortal danger”, it’s more accurate and less tabloid than “almost certain death”. But then I detest how anything extraordinary is now “awesome”. I fully accept that that makes me an “old git”. Fair enough.

Consistency would, of course, demand equal ire be directed at awesome’s synonyms marvellous and wonderful.

 

[Stemar]

You lot can be so pedantic! Besides, what are you doing, expecting good writing from a journalist?

Thank the Good Lord they were rescued; how would you rate their chances if they'd been on their own? Certain death maybe?

 

[doug748]

Personally I would prefer “mortal danger”, it’s more accurate and less tabloid than “almost certain death”. But then I detest how anything extraordinary is now “awesome”. I fully accept that that makes me an “old git”. Fair enough.

To be fair it's reported speech so it's fair to assume someone might have said it to the journo.

I would prefer that the crew had: ".. been in a tricky spot" or "avoided a very troubling situation" Far more suitable for British consumption.

.

 

[GEM43]

To be fair it's reported speech so it's fair to assume someone might have said it to the journo.

I would prefer that the crew had: ".. been in a tricky spot" or "avoided a very troubling situation" Far more suitable for British consumption.

.

That’s reminds me of an anecdote in Max Hasting’s “Finest Years” which is an excellent account of Churchill’s wartime endeavours.

In the early part of the war, 1940-42, when Britain was at real risk of invasion and in a parlous state of affairs in just about all regards, WSC and the Chiefs of Staff were spending much time in the US soliciting aid in various forms. The British used the normal understated metaphors - “sticky situation”. “a little difficult at the moment”, “not too bad” etcetera. The Americans, from FDR and the Chiefs of Staff downward, interpreted this literally and apparently didn’t grasp that Britain was exhausted and in grave danger.

So yes, I agree with your description of “tricky spot”, just be careful who you say it to!

 

[KevinV]

To be fair it's reported speech so it's fair to assume someone might have said it to the journo.

I would prefer that the crew had: ".. been in a tricky spot" or "avoided a very troubling situation" Far more suitable for British consumption.

.

"on a bit of a sticky wicket"

 

[ShaneO]

I started in healthcare in the southern USA prior to a career in the NHS. It took a bit of cultural recalibration to understand the shorthand for levels of critical illness. The Yanks favoured colourful acronyms like CTD (circlin’ the drain), FTD (fixin’ to die), and ART (assuming room temperature), whereas the terms that are intended to set off mental alarm bells in Blighty are things like “fairly unwell” and “poorly”. Or worse still, the dreaded “QUITE poorly”.

 

[newtothis]

I started in healthcare in the southern USA prior to a career in the NHS. It took a bit of cultural recalibration to understand the shorthand for levels of critical illness. The Yanks favoured colourful acronyms like CTD (circlin’ the drain), FTD (fixin’ to die), and ART (assuming room temperature), whereas the terms that are intended to set off mental alarm bells in Blighty are things like “fairly unwell” and “poorly”. Or worse still, the dreaded “QUITE poorly”.

But the Brits do have NFN (normal for Norfolk).

 

[GEM43]

But the Brits do have NFN (normal for Norfolk).

I was at the Falmouth shanty festival a few years back when Short Drag Roger sang a shanty by the name of "Norfolk n' good". Amusing if those words are conjoined and repeated.