Monday, February 25, 2008

Artful alliteration


This has to be one of the more intriguing (and most alliterative) newspaper headlines I've ever read:

Feckless fishmonger
faces flak for
foisting fatal fugu
on famished foreign female

Makes you wonder, doesn't it? The article concerned may be found here. It refers to a Japanese fishmonger who sold a poisonous puffer fish to a foreign woman who didn't know how to cook it safely. As a result, she died.

Sad story, I suppose, but enlightened by a witty copy-editor.

Peter

1 comment:

Deborah Cullins Smith said...

Just try reading that headline 5 times really fast! Bet you'll need a surgeon to untangle your tongue and tonsils.

But seriously... is a fish seller supposed to quiz each buyer to insure they know how to cook before actually completing a sale? That could put a real damper on their business. And for crying out loud, WHY would someone buy a poisonous fish without knowing what to do with it??? If they don't know anything about marine biology, couldn't they at least watch the 20-30 mystery shows which feature the puffer fish as a mode to murder?!?!?! Try Columbo, for one! A rather devious chef used the poison from a puffer to dose a competitor's wine...

Gotta admit though... the headline was priceless! :)