Spell Check is not always the sub-editor's friend, nor is the serial comma

[major_clanger]

A fascinating BBC news item on the discovery of the wreck of the 1737 HMS Victory (the predecessor of Nelson's flagship). However, I was slightly perplexed by some of its claims:

Mr Stemm said the wreck was identified as HMS Victory when he raised two extremely rare bronze canons, measuring 12ft (3.6m) and weighing four tonnes,

Canons are normally associated with cathedrals rather than warships, surely? And since when have they been 12ft tall and made of brass?

Part of a skeleton, including a skull, a wooden rudder, remains of the ship's hull, an iron ballast, two anchors, a copper kettle and rigging have been spotted on the sea bed.

It sounds like Jolly Jack Tar had some pretty odd anatomical features back in the early 18th Century!

Comments

[purplecthulhu.livejournal.com]

Part of a skeleton, including a skull, a wooden rudder... etc.

Aren't these the normal parts of ecclesiastical anatomy that one would usually associate with a canon of the 12ft tall brass variety?

[nmg.livejournal.com]

[...] two extremely rare bronze canons, measuring 12ft [...]

[...] since when have they been 12ft tall and made of brass?

Brass is not bronze.

For a start, bronze is quite commonly used for making cannon...

[major-clanger.livejournal.com]

Ooops, evidently bad copy-editing is infectious...

[missfairchild.livejournal.com]

Spell check is *never* a sub's friend, or anyone else's. And as much as I love the Oxford Comma, it's useless in the hands of someone who doesn't understand what it's for.

My favourite spellchecked mistake (not one of mine, I hasten to add): "As we drove through the deserted streets, the only living person we saw was an old man peeing through a broken window."

[beamjockey.livejournal.com]

With all due respect, the skeleton sentence lacks an Oxford comma ("...a copper kettle and rigging have been spotted...").

[rhionnach.livejournal.com]

Part of a skeleton, including a skull, a wooden rudder, remains of the ship's hull, an iron ballast, two anchors, a copper kettle and rigging have been spotted on the sea bed

That is so funny!

[ben-jeapes.livejournal.com]

Sadly the error seems to have been corrected. Winston Smith lives!