Saturday, August 01, 2009

On balance

This is more of a feature than a bug:
The latest crime-fighting gadget, a cigar-sized camera attached to a police helmet, has gone up in smoke after problems with its batteries setting* on fire.






*Isn't that rather tortured syntax? "Batteries setting on fire"? Setting what on fire?

UPDATE: I wish my grammar was better. What is that? A reflexive use of the present participle?
at

5 comments:

  1. Mr Eugenides02/08/2009, 04:33

    Americans say "catching on fire" - maybe the Telegraph hack in question is angling for a summer job on the New York Times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Pedant's Apprentice02/08/2009, 15:28

    I wish your grammar were better.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Peter Risdon02/08/2009, 15:32

    Absolutely. The subjunctive.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous03/08/2009, 20:19

    PR: "its batteries setting* on fire."

    How about, "spontaneously combusting"?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous03/08/2009, 20:21

    Mr. E.: "Americans say "catching on fire"."

    Or, how about "bursting into flames".?

    ReplyDelete

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