March 30, 2004

RULED BY BASTARDS

Bernie Slattery reports:

The Australian wasted some space this morning correcting a quote it attributed to National Party Senator Sandy McDonald saying "Syria is a country that has been a bastard state for nearly 40 years.''

It should have read "Syria is a country that has been a Baathist state for nearly 40 years.''

As Bernie says: “Wish they'd explain the difference.”

Posted by Tim Blair at March 30, 2004 12:20 PM
Comments

The perils of Spellcheck.

Posted by: Yehudit at March 30, 2004 at 01:11 PM

Tim

This reminds me: have you seen the obituary comments about Pter Ustinov in today's Australian ? Seeking an Aussie angle, the best they could come up with about one of the most mellifluous speakers of English in the world, was Phillip Adams who said Ustinov was a decent bloke because he wasn't up himself!

I suppose for most people overseas that just about sums up the intellectual level of Australia.

Posted by: Freddyboy at March 30, 2004 at 01:30 PM

Bastards should be offended and protest this hateful mixup.

Posted by: perfectsense at March 30, 2004 at 02:41 PM

I read it and re-read it to check, because I thought bastard was a strange word to use, but then I thought that it probably did apply to Syria. Where is the problem?

Posted by: Razor at March 30, 2004 at 03:03 PM

What, then, does it make Phillip Adams, who is so obviously "up himself?"

Posted by: JorgXMcKie at March 31, 2004 at 02:29 AM

I think Senator McDonald got it right.

Posted by: Rebecca at March 31, 2004 at 02:57 AM

It should have read "Syria is a country that has been a Baptist state for nearly 40 years." That might explain Deacon Jimmy Carter's sympathy for the enemies of Israel


Posted by: c at March 31, 2004 at 10:13 AM

You're too late "Tommy". Crikey's already unleashed that all round the right circles.

Posted by: Miranda Divide at March 31, 2004 at 11:13 AM

A sphincter says what?

Posted by: Andrea Harris at March 31, 2004 at 01:18 PM

Do it in French!

Une rectume dit quoi?

Quoi?

Une rectume dit quoi?

Quoi????

Exactement.

Posted by: Sortelli at March 31, 2004 at 02:23 PM