Comments on: The Most Ironic News Headline http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297 Not a photo blog, but sometimes I play one on TV Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:28:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.12-alpha by: Jacob http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-3264 Wed, 14 Feb 2007 01:54:10 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-3264 I've never heard anyone offended by "Xmas" before, but the reason to use it in a headline is that it is considerably shorter than "Christmas", and can therefore more easily fit in narrow newspaper columns. This usage has nothing to do with pushing a political agenda one way or the other, or x-ing out Christ's name. I’ve never heard anyone offended by “Xmas” before, but the reason to use it in a headline is that it is considerably shorter than “Christmas”, and can therefore more easily fit in narrow newspaper columns. This usage has nothing to do with pushing a political agenda one way or the other, or x-ing out Christ’s name.

]]> by: Sam http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2861 Tue, 05 Dec 2006 18:13:20 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2861 I'd point out that you're probably not correct to blame Tom Breen -- it's usually the copy editors who write headlines. As for the "standard usage", I thought "xmas" was relatively standard usage. I’d point out that you’re probably not correct to blame Tom Breen — it’s usually the copy editors who write headlines.

As for the “standard usage”, I thought “xmas” was relatively standard usage.

]]> by: Simon P. Chappell http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2854 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:57:30 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2854 I'm with Jeffrey on this one. As an apostolic (upci.org) Christian, I understand that the X in Xmas is the initial letter of the Greek word for Christ. That said, I still find it lazy usage. If you're that keen on Greek, then write it all in Greek or stick to the standard english/american usage please! I’m with Jeffrey on this one. As an apostolic (upci.org) Christian, I understand that the X in Xmas is the initial letter of the Greek word for Christ. That said, I still find it lazy usage. If you’re that keen on Greek, then write it all in Greek or stick to the standard english/american usage please!

]]> by: Cate http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2851 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 05:06:14 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2851 I hate to argue with you, because I really enjoy your blog. HOWEVER -- Nigger has been a pejorative term for a long time (at least since the mid-1800's, according to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/nigger.htm). I understand that you don't like xmas, but there isn't really a case to be made for it being pejorative -- except that you don't like it. As far as I know, xmas has never been used to denigrate Christmas or Christ -- it's just shorthand. There's a big difference between shorthand and using a word to intentionally express disrespect. At least to me, there is. Thanks for your blog. I especially appreciate your photo advice, and as a complete junkie for all things Japanese, I like learning about your life there. I hate to argue with you, because I really enjoy your blog. HOWEVER — Nigger has been a pejorative term for a long time (at least since the mid-1800’s, according to http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/nigger.htm). I understand that you don’t like xmas, but there isn’t really a case to be made for it being pejorative — except that you don’t like it. As far as I know, xmas has never been used to denigrate Christmas or Christ — it’s just shorthand. There’s a big difference between shorthand and using a word to intentionally express disrespect. At least to me, there is.

Thanks for your blog. I especially appreciate your photo advice, and as a complete junkie for all things Japanese, I like learning about your life there.

]]> by: Jeffrey Friedl http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2850 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 03:36:14 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2850 Yes, I know about how it was written in Greek, but we're not writing Greek a thousand years ago, we're writing English now. By your logic, "nigger" is a perfectly appropriate term for someone with black skin (because its roots lie in a term of comradery used among those forced into slavery in the US). Yes, I know about how it was written in Greek, but we’re not writing Greek a thousand years ago, we’re writing English now. By your logic, “nigger” is a perfectly appropriate term for someone with black skin (because its roots lie in a term of comradery used among those forced into slavery in the US).

]]> by: Cate http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2849 Mon, 04 Dec 2006 01:59:00 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2849 X was a historically common shorthand for Christ -- the greek letter Chi is written "X" and was the first letter of Christ's name in greek. Read here (and in many other places) for more: http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html So "Xmas" is just shorthand -- appropriate shorthand -- for Christmas. X was a historically common shorthand for Christ — the greek letter Chi is written “X” and was the first letter of Christ’s name in greek. Read here (and in many other places) for more: http://www.cresourcei.org/symbols/xmasorigin.html

So “Xmas” is just shorthand — appropriate shorthand — for Christmas.

]]> by: Lisa http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2844 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 20:48:33 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2844 Small world! I follow your blog via an RSS reader, and saw this post today. Tom Breen is someone my husband knows. I've read things of Breen's before he moved to West Virginia for AP, and he strikes me as a responsible journalist and writer. I would have to agree with the points both Derek and Bill mention, and add to that that writers often do not write their own headlines-- an editor will have that responsibility. I thought the article itself was funny. If you take out a lighted baby Jesus and his parents, that makes the creche less religious? What reasoning! Small world! I follow your blog via an RSS reader, and saw this post today. Tom Breen is someone my husband knows. I’ve read things of Breen’s before he moved to West Virginia for AP, and he strikes me as a responsible journalist and writer. I would have to agree with the points both Derek and Bill mention, and add to that that writers often do not write their own headlines– an editor will have that responsibility.

I thought the article itself was funny. If you take out a lighted baby Jesus and his parents, that makes the creche less religious? What reasoning!

]]> by: Bill http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2843 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 19:25:57 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2843 I have to agree with Derek. Xmas isn't demeaning. I believe it goes way, way, way back and stems from either X being symbolic of a cross or short for Χριστός (Greek for "Christ"). I have to agree with Derek. Xmas isn’t demeaning. I believe it goes way, way, way back and stems from either X being symbolic of a cross or short for Χριστός (Greek for “Christ”).

]]> by: Derek http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2842 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 16:50:44 +0000 http://regex.info/blog/2006-12-03/297#comment-2842 Couple reasons: [a] To a lot of people, "Christmas" isn't a religious holiday, or at least its "religious weight" is severely diminished. They just don't see anything worth getting worked up about [b] To a newspaper editor, the length of a headline is important (not the "number of words" but the "number of characters") .. Given [a] above, it makes a lot of sense, where a headline is already getting wordy, to shorten it where possible, and "Christmas"->"Xmas" saves some space [c] "X" isn't actually *insulting*. "nigger" for "black" is pejorative. "pig" for "cop" is pejorative. It's not like Christ is hanging around feeling insulted. There's a world of difference there. Pejorative means "to have negative connotations", and frankly "Xmas" doesn't have negative connotations (see "[a]" above, most of the world doesn't really get worked up about it). It's not like "Xmas" is code for "Anti-Christmas" or something. Now, if they'd used "giftmas" for "Christmas" (which, admittedly, I do more often than not, given the commercialization of a largely religious holiday), *that* might be considered to have a negative connotation and be pejorative. Couple reasons:

[a] To a lot of people, “Christmas” isn’t a religious holiday, or at least its “religious weight” is severely diminished. They just don’t see anything worth getting worked up about
[b] To a newspaper editor, the length of a headline is important (not the “number of words” but the “number of characters”) .. Given [a] above, it makes a lot of sense, where a headline is already getting wordy, to shorten it where possible, and “Christmas”->”Xmas” saves some space
[c] “X” isn’t actually *insulting*. “nigger” for “black” is pejorative. “pig” for “cop” is pejorative. It’s not like Christ is hanging around feeling insulted. There’s a world of difference there. Pejorative means “to have negative connotations”, and frankly “Xmas” doesn’t have negative connotations (see “[a]” above, most of the world doesn’t really get worked up about it). It’s not like “Xmas” is code for “Anti-Christmas” or something.

Now, if they’d used “giftmas” for “Christmas” (which, admittedly, I do more often than not, given the commercialization of a largely religious holiday), *that* might be considered to have a negative connotation and be pejorative.

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