Andrew West mailed me (yeah, I know, I gave strict instructions and threatened a curse, but nobody cares about that), and this is what he said:
I know I'm not meant to email you, and a trillion people have probably already have told you, but someone at the BBC must read Language Log, because the report now reads:
"The adverts juxtaposed pictures of women with quasi-religious text."
Now all you've got to explain is how "quasi-religious" got to "predatory".
Sorry for disturbing you,
Andrew
Well, I put the hex on him anyway — his skin is erupting, his teeth are itching — but that's interesting, isn't it? You don't think they read Language Log at the BBC do you? If they do, it might mess up our plans. We do some regular ridiculing of their science stories here (especially the stories about language and animal communication). They might go and fix them all up or rescind them, and we'll lose a rich and precious vein of humorous literature. Rats.
Posted by Geoffrey K. Pullum at March 13, 2008 12:37 PM