Collective singular noun!
14 U.S. Troops Die in Iraq Copter Crash
No, fourteen US troops did NOT die in a helicopter crash. Fourteen INDIVIDUALS died in a helicopter crash. "Troop" is a fucking COLLECTIVE. SINGULAR. NOUN. One person is not a "troop"! No! NO! Fourteen "military members", "soldiers", "Marines", "sailors", or "airmen". NOT TROOPS! STOP IT! STOPPITNOW!
The proper response to "fourteen troops died in a helicopter crash" is: "How many were in each troop?" Well, actually, a more fitting response might be "Why the fuck were they still over there to get into the helicopter to die?" but let's not digress.
I have no idea why this matters so much to me. Perhaps it's because "troops" is such a cutesy word. Boy Scouts are in "troops". Someone is a good sport, and lets you pile work upon them, they're a "real trooper". Too bad "trooper" means a state patrolman already. Well, there was "Starship Troopers", but even with the movie (or because of it), "troopers" never caught on.
Or perhaps it's because "troops" has become a trigger word for certain ersatz emotions TheyTM would like to elicit in us. If you're going to (try to) manipulate my mind, I insist you do so using correct grammar. Whatever it is you're trying to accomplish, you knock me right back into jarring reality when you say that. Knock off your lazy yellow-journalistic shorthand and write properly.
No, fourteen US troops did NOT die in a helicopter crash. Fourteen INDIVIDUALS died in a helicopter crash. "Troop" is a fucking COLLECTIVE. SINGULAR. NOUN. One person is not a "troop"! No! NO! Fourteen "military members", "soldiers", "Marines", "sailors", or "airmen". NOT TROOPS! STOP IT! STOPPITNOW!
The proper response to "fourteen troops died in a helicopter crash" is: "How many were in each troop?" Well, actually, a more fitting response might be "Why the fuck were they still over there to get into the helicopter to die?" but let's not digress.
I have no idea why this matters so much to me. Perhaps it's because "troops" is such a cutesy word. Boy Scouts are in "troops". Someone is a good sport, and lets you pile work upon them, they're a "real trooper". Too bad "trooper" means a state patrolman already. Well, there was "Starship Troopers", but even with the movie (or because of it), "troopers" never caught on.
Or perhaps it's because "troops" has become a trigger word for certain ersatz emotions TheyTM would like to elicit in us. If you're going to (try to) manipulate my mind, I insist you do so using correct grammar. Whatever it is you're trying to accomplish, you knock me right back into jarring reality when you say that. Knock off your lazy yellow-journalistic shorthand and write properly.
Labels: Iraq war, media, propaganda, word geek
posted by Delirium at
9:37 PM
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