August 07, 2003

Great Headlines of the World

Posted by Kieran

It’s not quite “McArthur Flies Back to Front,” but it shares something with “Headless Body in Topless Bar” and I just read it in the current issue of the ANU’s “On Campus” newsletter [pdf]:

Former Head of John XXIII Remembered

The headline writer had room to clarify the meaning by inserting the word “College” between “XXIII” and “Remembered” but clearly did not want to spoil her chance to enliven one of the world’s duller publications.

This reminds me of the time on Ireland’s Nine O’Clock News when newsreader Ann Doyle asked someone whether they would best remember the late Cardinal Tomas O’Fiach as a man or a primate.

Posted on August 7, 2003 12:16 AM UTC
Comments

That’s beautiful. Wonder how John XXIII’s current head feels about the attention being given to its predecessor…

Posted by James Russell · August 7, 2003 09:02 AM

Or there’s the (presumably apocryphal) “Eighth Army Push Bottles Up Rommel’s Rear”.

Posted by Chris Brooke · August 7, 2003 10:55 AM

I didn’t realise Worzel Gummidge had been leader of the Catholic Church. “Ooh aah! I gots me infallible ‘ead on t’day, Aunt Sally.”

Posted by MB · August 7, 2003 06:27 PM

Nice, one Chris B.

So that’s why they called him the “Desert Bottleopener”.

Posted by Nabakov · August 8, 2003 07:57 AM
Followups

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.