Tboy's pet peeve

Today's pet peeve (Tboy is fairly certain there will be more in the coming weeks) is the dangling modifier, which isn't nearly as lubricious as you might hope from the sound of it.  The dangling modifier is the favorite grammatical error of publicists and other writers striving to give their prose a high-falutin' rhythm. It's almost always a sure sign that someone's waxing overly lyrical, straining to make a connection that may or may not be justified. 

To wit, from the first Helen Hayes brag to land in Tboy's inbox:

A dominant force in musical theater, “Signature Theatre’s acidic musical Urinetown received a leading dozen nominations," stated today’s Washington Post.

See what's happening there? The publicist, following the impulse of publicists since time immemorial, wants to puff up an already complimentary quote by stressing that Signature is "a dominant force in musical theater."

Trouble is, that modifying phrase (everything before the first comma), actually modifies the subject of the following clause.  So what we've got here is the remarkable claim that Urinetown, not satisfied with being merely an acidic musical, is also a dominant force in musical theater.

It makes Tboy lachrymose to report that this shit happens all the time. When he's working as an editor, he does not hesitate to express his impatience with writers who do it.  And by "impatience" he means: Fer Chrissake, fucker, could you possibly learn to string a coherent English sentence together?

Bonus bitch: We learn in the same press release, indeed in the following sentence, that "Signature’s signature – the annual presentation of a Stephen Sondheim musical – received the remaining balance [of Signature's 18 nominations]..." 

And here Tboy had thought that the notion of "remaining" was inherent in that nicely efficient word "balance."  Sigh...

Comments

[Freddy Wertham]

Is it me or do you have beef with Signature Theatre? I've seen a lot of pot shots taken at them and not as many at others.

[theaterboy]

Fear not, there will be potshots (but Tboy hopes never cheap shots) at other theaters as soon as they provide the ammunition.

Meanwhile if you need a fix immediately, you might try the archives. The nice people at Washington Shakespeare Company, Source Theatre, and Arena Stage, for starters, will I'm certain be happy to provide helpful links.

As he mentioned, this press release was the first Helen Hayes brag to hit Tboy's inbox. And that genuinely is one of his major pet peeves. And it was right there in the second sentence, begging to be jumped on with both feet.

Tboy thought he was being kind using only the one.

[luckyspinster]

i don't know if i'd be more irked by the dangler or by the bragging.

i got an email yesterday from someone who sent a mass email to several dozen colleagues announcing his own nomination and comparing it to being nominated for a Tony. i'm thrilled because he's thrilled, but i've always felt bragging is best accomplished through others. or bios. or blogs.

and it's best seasoned by gratitude and humility, if only false.

[Anon]

I'm a little confused... was is a press release from Signature or a press release about the HH? I only question because I have seen basically the same working in other articles about the noms.

[Ronnie]

Callie..

OMG yeah!

[Steve]

While we're on pet peeves, I've got to call you on your use of "firstly" and "secondly" in the T.O. discussion thread. Aren't "first" and "second" sufficient? Where's my Strunk and White...?

[theaterboy]

Yes and no.  Depends on whom you ask.

But Tboy is delighted that you care.