Blogtrek

Ambiguity forever and ever

I found today an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune's web site about the North Carolina ice storm. The headline read: "Residents of North Carolina face up to life without power after ice and snow storm", and was by Emery P. Dalesio. The headline is ambiguous, and the other meaning of the headline is simply horrendous! It says that North Carolina residents have lost their electrical power for good; that they will never, ever again have electricity; and that furthermore, there is an implication that this was due to some wrongdoing. Convicted criminals "face up to life". North Carolina residents "face up to life". Perhaps whoever wrote the headline could have said "Residents of North Carolina adjust to life". He should have checked the meaning of his headlines before he published.