OK, OK, OK. Language pet peeves today.
Why, oh why, must reporter types write like this:
Sony on Thursday released its $249 PlayStation Portable (PSP) to the North American market.
Is that not one of the most awkward, twisted, and, frankly, stupid-sounding constructions in the English language? Sony on Thursday? What is that? Is Thursday some new kind of corporate drug? Or perhaps a famous street address? Come on. Just bloody well say what you mean:
On Thursday, Sony released its $249 PlayStation Portable (PSP) to the North American market.
What? Not good enough? Editors and journalistic tradition demand that the key words be close to the front of the first sentence of the article? OK, I understand that. But what about this:
Sony released its $249 PlayStation Portable (PSP) to the North American market on Thursday.
What’s wrong with that? It wouldn’t break my jaw, my train of thought, or my tongue, it has the key words near the front, and the not-quite-so-important info near the back. Much better.
Spread the meme.