So let it be written…
I guess I should be put to death, right?
The Old World practice of public stoning would be the way to go, I suppose.
It’s true, I confess, I have committed the mother of all sins: In a web headline, I horribly and incorrectly used the word “rode” instead of “ridden,” I’ve been told, and told, and told.
Reviewing my email messages this morning, jeepers but the electronic stones kept coming.
Shame-faced as I am, I’m nevertheless a big enough boy to share my humiliating transgression with you.
Hey, sooner or later we all get a pimple on our butt, at least once in our lifetime, and today it’s my turn.
The offending headline I wrote? Well, here it is. You might want to read only a few words at a time, though, lest you go blind: “One in three Canadian high school students have rode with drinking drivers, study reveals.”
Yeah, I know, mea culpa. Disgusting, yes?
You’d think so, by the reaction of some generous correspondents who so clearly and very truly are mightily much smarter than me (or is that I? Myself?).
I’m sharing some samples with you because such genius should be celebrated and not wasted solely on the likes of a mere cretin like me.
Prepare to be heart-warmed.
Diane Anderson sent me this: “Headline.. ” Have RODE”!!! I believe you mean “have RIDDEN”. Please correct this ASAP! Sincerely, Diane.”
That’s not so bad. Could’ve done without the shouting caps, though.
READ ALSO: ZYTARUK: Patience grasshopper. All in good time
Grace Hildebrand had this to say: “Please note that the past participle of the verb ride is ridden. For example, “The students have ridden with drunk drivers.” Are they giving out journalism credentials in cereal boxes now?”
Claudette Sandecki: “Dear Tom, Who writes these grammar-less titles? Surely not a graduate of any high school or journalism class? Claudette.”
Margot Moser: “One-third of Canadian high school students have rode with drivers who had… “Have rode”? I thought that, as a journalist, you would have a better grasp of grammar. M. Moser”
Donald Lloyd: “Your lead sentence exhibits appalling grammar: “One-third of Canadian high school students have rode with drivers who had been drinking…” It does not help the reputation of your newspaper. DL.”
And so on. Man, am I a jerk, or what?
I won’t bore you with vainglorious self-aggrandizement concerning my credentials.
You can search my name on google if you have nothing better to do, but I gather you probably do.
The purpose of this column is not to prove how thin-skinned I am. Its purpose, despite the admittedly meandering preamble, is to demonstrate how so many people these days cannot, or chose not to, resist throwing snarky, snide jabs. Why is that? I don’t know.
One correspondent, Anne Morris, schooled me right and proper, but in a helpful way, and without chucking slime: “Your headline should read “One in three Canadian high school students have ridden with drinking drivers…” Your subtitle, “Nearly one in five rode with a driver…” is correct. [ride, rode, ridden]”
Thank you, Anne. I’ve corrected that headline.
Just for you.
So let it be done.
Tom Zytaruk is a staff writer with the Now-Leader. You can email him at at tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com – if you are nice.
