Attachment ambiguity of the week
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"Congressional Republicans want to fight on, but the White House says Obamacare repeal is dead", Vox 3/26/2017:
But Mulvaney’s remarks raise a question: If “fixing the system” is a major legislative priority, why is Trump leaving it unfinished? Mulvaney’s answer — that Trump “is not willing to do what other politicians would do” — in that context actually sounds like a damning critique of the president who, it’s worth noting, went on his 13th golf outing since taking office on Sunday.
Sure seems like he's been president longer than that. But anyhow, 13 golf outings since Sunday shows amazing stamina for a man his age.
Obligatory screen shot:
[h/t Dmitry Ostrovsky]
BZ said,
March 27, 2017 @ 11:38 am
I wouldn't call this an ambiguity. It is unambiguously wrong. The only reasonable reading is that Trump took office "on Sunday" and went on 13 golf outings since then. The best way to fix this without a rewrite is to swap "it's worth noting" and "on Sunday".
chris said,
March 27, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
I agree with BZ. This attachment isn't ambiguous, it's just plain misplaced. You have to consciously reject the sentence's natural reading and search for an alternative reading in order to find one that isn't nonsense.
Although I don't think you have to move "it's worth noting"; if you think it's necessary at all, it's fine where it is. "On Sunday" is the part that needs to be moved much closer to "went".
I won't address the substance because this isn't Presidential Golfing Log.
Usually Dainichi said,
March 28, 2017 @ 12:39 am
I disagree. There's a difference between unambiguously bad writing and ungrammatical writing. The sentence is not ungrammatical with the intended meaning. How do you like
[…] went on his 13th golf outing (since taking office) on Sunday.
? In speech, one would indicate the non-constituency of "taking office on Sunday" with a pause after "office".
Jonathan Smith said,
March 28, 2017 @ 2:13 am
Not only is the sentence thoroughly grammatical in the intended meaning, it places "on Sunday" in the most idiomatic position. A second meaning snuck to the forefront though… it happens.
January First-of-May said,
March 28, 2017 @ 3:00 pm
Not only is the sentence thoroughly grammatical in the intended meaning, it places "on Sunday" in the most idiomatic position. A second meaning snuck to the forefront though… it happens.
I agree – I can't think of any way to "fix" it that doesn't feel much uglier than what's there already (at least, if we want to keep the "it's worth noting" part).
RP said,
March 28, 2017 @ 6:38 pm
@January First-of-May,
How about "…who on Sunday, it's worth noting, went on his 13th golf outing since taking office"?
David Marjanović said,
March 30, 2017 @ 4:15 am
That would put too much emphasis on Sunday, while the emphasis belongs on the fact that it's the 13th time.
RP said,
March 30, 2017 @ 1:59 pm
Perhaps "his 13th post-inaugural golf outing"?