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Gazapos de prensa
I decided to title this article in Spanish (Gazapos), rather than English, because I couldn't decide what the correct term would be in English for the concept of "gazapos de prensa." There is a hilarious book written about them in English which refers to them as "Flubs from the Press," so I suppose that would do nicely. "Botched Headlines" would be another possibility. Whatever we decide to call these things, it is their grammatical ambiguity that makes them so amusing! And just think: some paid professional journalist actually wrote these things!
While the headline writer's boss may not feel very grateful, the rest of us should give thanks for such bloopers! Not only are they the source of endless belly laughs -- they also provide insight into the inner workings of a language's syntax.
Whether you have come here looking for laughs or for grammatical insight, you have come to the right place. Immediately below, you will find a list of gazapos in English and in Spanish. If you only wish to laugh, then the list is all you need. However, if you are studying either English or Spanish, and would like some analysis as to
why these headlines are ambiguous and therefore humorous, then click on any of the headlines you don't understand to read a brief explanation.
The English Flubs:
Actual Newspaper Headlines:
Gazapos de prensa en español:
Titulares reales:
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