View source for Wikipedia:Principle of Some Astonishment

{{short description|Wikipedia essay on uncluttered writing}}
{{Essay|interprets='''concise, uncluttered writing'''|WP:POSA|WP:ASTONISHME|WP:DUH|WP:PLEONASM|WP:SURPRISEME|WP:YOUDONTSAY|cat=Category:Wikipedia essays about editing}}
{{nutshell|The [[WP:ASTONISH|Principle of least astonishment]] notwithstanding, strive to omit obvious details.}}<noinclude>
__TOC__</noinclude>

==Principle of Some Astonishment==
[[File:Fermanagh Floods 2009 (17 of 19), Samsonagh - geograph.org.uk - 1599128.jpg|thumb|center|upright=1.3|Can we get you on ''[[Mastermind (TV series)|Mastermind]]'', [[Sybil Fawlty|Sybil]]? "Next contestant, ''Sybil Fawlty from Torquay;'' specialist subject: ''the bleedin' obvious!''{{hsp}}" {{right|1={{mdash}}{{thinsp}} [[Basil Fawlty]] [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/Fawlty-Towers-20-of-Basils-best-rants/]}} ]]

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.
|source = {{mdash}} [[William Strunk Jr.]], ''[[The Elements of Style]]'' (1918)
}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|In composing, as a general rule, run your pen through every other word you have written; you have no idea what vigour it will give your style.
|source = {{mdash}} [[Sydney Smith]] [https://books.google.com/books?id=R18JAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA382]
}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|Most first drafts can be cut by 50% without losing any information{{nbsp}}.... Look for clutter in your writing and prune it ruthlessly. Be grateful for everything you can throw away{{nbsp}}.... Writing improves in direct ratio to the number of things we can keep out of it that shouldn't be there.
|source = {{mdash}} [[William Zinsser]], [https://books.google.com/books?id=UvlnAAAAMAAJ ''On Writing Well'']
}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|Most first drafts can be halved without losing information{{nbsp}}....  Mercilessly prune clutter from your writing; be grateful for all you can throw away{{nbsp}}.... Writing improves, the more unnecessary things are kept out. |source= {{mdash}} If Zinsser followed his own advice}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|Perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away.
|source = {{mdash}} [[Antoine de Saint-Exupéry]], ''[[Wind, Sand and Stars]]'' ({{abbr|tr.|translated by}} Lewis Galantière)
}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|I have made this letter longer than usual, only because I have not had the time to make it shorter.
|source = {{mdash}} [[Blaise Pascal]], ''Lettres provinciales'' no. 16 (1657)}}

{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|Some writers tend to overuse quotations. 
|source = {{mdash}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20190729151617/http://www2.ivcc.edu/eng1002/handout_quotations_paraphrases_summaries.htm Somebody or other]
}}
{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|I don't mind yet another epigraph.<!--<br><small>("Мне лишнего эпиграфа не жалко")</small>-->
|source = {{mdash}} Vladimir Shinkarev, [http://lib.ru/ANEKDOTY/gonduras.txt ''Papuas from Honduras'']
}}
{{Quote box|align=center|salign=right|width=80%
|duh. DUH. DUH!
|source = {{mdash}} [[User:EEng|EEng]] [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=892980182 hard-ass copyediting]
}}

{{if mobile|1='''''Portions of this page are best [https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Wikipedia:Principle_of_Some_Astonishment&mobileaction=toggle_view_desktop viewed in desktop].'''''}}

Sometimes editors clutter their prose with pedestrian details that the reader likely already knows or would naturally assume. Rather than informing readers, this wastes their time and dulls their attention.
The following are examples of articles belaboring the routine and obvious, at times painfully:


[[File:Munch The Scream lithography.png|thumb|upright=0.7|You mean the game pieces can be stored for later use? I'm astonished!]]
;In the article [https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=757009732 ''Pick-up sticks'']:
::{{tq|Each piece in the game also has a point value, with more challenging pieces being worth more. <s>At the end of play, points are tallied up and the pieces can be thrown again or stored in a container for another use.</s>}}
:Comment: ''Of course'' the points are tallied up at the end of play. ''Of course'' we can either play again or put the game away "in a container". (If the rules said to ignore the score sheet at the end, then called for players to burn the game pieces or use them to commit ritual suicide, THAT would be worth mentioning.)


{{shortcut|WP:FIRESAREHOT}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=892980182 Notre-Dame de Paris fire]:''
::{{tq|Some lead joints in stained glass windows melted <del>in the heat of the fire</del>.}}
:Comment: DUH.


{{shortcut|WP:INFERNOSAREEVENHOTTER}}
;In the (ahem) Featured Article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Halifax_Explosion&diff=1034535405&oldid=1034535085 Halifax explosion]:''
::{{tq|An area of over 160 hectares (400 acres) was completely destroyed by the explosion{{nbsp}}... Stoves and lamps overturned <del>by the force of the blast</del> sparked fires throughout Halifax, particularly in the North End, where entire city blocks were caught up in the inferno, trapping residents inside their houses.}}
:Comment: Double DUH. (The prosecutor is requesting [https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=1016182249#Increase_in_time_to_be_served sentence enhancement] for use of the word ''inferno''.)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=918854639 Live-line working]'':
::{{tq|<del>Electricity is hazardous</del>}}
:Comment: Shocking.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=996003117 Joe Biden]'':
::{{tq|Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. is <del>an American politician and</del> the president-elect of the United States.}}
:Comment:{{spaces|105}}[[File:Himla med ögonen.gif|frameless|upright=.7|alt=A stylized head with eyes rolling up]]


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=860959474 San Francisco Zoo tiger attacks]:''<!--for the record, there's a very similar example at https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=881057398 but I can't bring myself to make light of that-->
::{{tq|They created a distraction which caused the tiger to turn towards the officers, who shot and killed it. <s>After the shooting,</s> officials removed Tatiana's head, paws, tail and gastric contents for examination.}}
:Comment: Removing the tiger's head ''before'' shooting it, assuming you could somehow manage that, would presumably have rendered the shooting superfluous.


;In the article ''US Airways Flight 1549:''

::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=next&oldid=769110273 The weather <s>recorded</s> at 2:51 p.m. was 10 miles visibility with broken clouds at 3,700 feet, wind 8 knots from 290°, temperature -6°{{nbsp}}C.]}}
:Comment: Of course it was recorded, otherwise how would we know it?

::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=755384862 Sullenberger asked if they could attempt an emergency landing in New Jersey, mentioning Teterboro Airport{{nbsp}}... air traffic controllers <s>quickly</s> contacted Teterboro and gained permission for a landing on Runway&nbsp;1.]}}
:Comment: The word ''quickly'' is superfluous, because our readers' innate cunning will inform them that controllers generally act with dispatch in such situations. (Had they instead been lackadaisical, THAT would be worth mentioning.)

::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=755320395 However, Sullenberger told controllers that "We can't do it," and "We're gonna be in the Hudson," <s>signaling his intention to bring the plane down on the Hudson River because he was too low to glide to any airport</s>.]}}
:Comment: The part from "signalling his intention{{nbsp}}..." on is probably unnecessary, because our readers aren't mentally defective. They will conclude without being told that when Sullenberger said "We can't do it{{nbsp}}... We're gonna be in the Hudson", he's hinting that (a) he's going to land on the Hudson and (b) he's taking this unconventional step because more orthodox landing sites are out of reach. (Had he instead done it because he wanted a bath, THAT would be worth mentioning.)

::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=755391524 <s>Immediately after the A320 had been ditched,</s> Sullenberger opened the cockpit door and gave the "evacuate" order.]}}
:Comment: The ''immediately'' bit seems unnecessary. (Had the captain made a cup of tea before ordering "Evacuate!", THAT would be worth mentioning.)

::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=755921539 <s>The first fire chief on scene transmitted a "10-60" to confirm a major emergency</s>.]}}
:Comment: If the fire chief, seeing people crowded onto the wings of a sinking airliner, had radioed, "False alarm{{snd}}no big deal", THAT would be worth mentioning.


; In ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=926251443 List of American Airlines accidents and incidents]:''
::{{tq|October 28, 2016: '''[[American Airlines Flight 383 (2016)|American Airlines Flight 383]]''', a [[Boeing 767-300ER]] flying from [[O'Hare International Airport|Chicago]] to [[Miami International Airport|Miami]], was accelerating for takeoff when the right engine <del>failed and erupted in flames</del> <ins>caught fire</ins>.}}
:Comment: You don't have to be a pilot to know that an engine in flames has failed.
::{{tq|The crew aborted the takeoff <del>and initiated an emergency evacuation</del>.}}
:Comment: They didn't taxi back to the gate with an engine on fire? [http://taylorcantcometothephone.com/yarn-clip/e248cced-7e19-4216-b13d-f838251944a0 You amaze me!]


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1056408090 Continental Airlines Flight 11]:''
::{{tq|Although airline policy is that once the doors are closed they are not to be reopened, <s>the doors were reopened and </s>Doty was allowed to board.}}
:Comment: But if necessary he could have clawed his way through the fuselage.
::{{tq|Of the 45 individuals on board, 44 were dead when rescuers reached the crash site. One passenger, a 27-year-old man from [[Evanston, Illinois]], <s>was alive when rescuers found him in the wreckage, but he </s>died of internal injuries at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in [[Centerville, Iowa]], an hour and a half after being rescued.}}
:Comment: So he didn't die twice, then.


{{anchor|mars}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=765874015 Charles Whitman]:''
::{{tq|1= Whitman was reportedly the youngest person <s>in the world</s> ever to become an Eagle Scout at that time.}}
:Comment: Are people becoming Eagle Scouts elsewhere than "in the world"? Perhaps [[The Martian (film)|on Mars]]? (See also [https://en.wikipedia.org/?search=insource%3A%22%20+in+the+world+%22&title=Special:Search&profile=advanced&fulltext=1&ns0=1] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=next&oldid=1033471019].)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=940738304 University of California, Berkeley]:''
::{{tq|1= UC Berkeley researchers along with Berkeley Lab have discovered or co-discovered 16 chemical elements <del>of the periodic table</del>{{snd}}more than any other university <del>in the world</del>.}}
:Comment: See prior item.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=805892590 Club of Rome]:''
::{{tq|1=The Club of Rome raised considerable public attention with its report ''[[Limits to Growth]]'', which has sold 30 million copies in more than 30 translations, making it the best-selling environmental book in <s>world</s> history.}}
:Comment: I think you see where I'm going with this.


;In some proposed text for the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=863456022 Apollo 11]:''
::{{tq|On July 23, the last night before splashdown <s>on Earth</s>, the three astronauts made a television broadcast}}
:Comment: Ditto.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=778696660#Plot Saving Private Ryan]:''
::{{tq|1=In Washington, D.C, General George Marshall is informed that three of the four Ryan brothers have been killed within the last week, and that their mother is about to be notified<s> of their deaths</s>.}}
:Comment: Lest readers imagine they were notifying her that she'd won the [[Pillsbury Bake-Off]].


{{anchor|babies}}

[[File:Shepherd's pie (22470901009).jpg|thumb|right|upright=.55|''Caution:'' May contain [[shepherds pie|shepherds]].]]
{{stack|float=right|[[File:Johnsons Baby Powder 1,5 OZS talc, pic5.JPG|thumb|right|upright=0.45|''Caution:'' May contain babies.]]}}
{{stack|float=right|[[File:Oranges and orange juice.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.40|''Caution:'' May contain oranges.]]}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=836222140 Citrus juice]:''
::{{tq|The most commonly consumed type of citrus juice is [[orange juice]]<s>, which as the name implies, is extracted from [[oranges]].</s>}}
:Comment: But then baby powder isn't extracted from babies, I suppose.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=770378403 Stone's representation theorem for Boolean algebras]:''
::{{tq|The theorem was first proved by Marshall H. Stone (1936)<s>, and thus named in his honor</s>.}}
:Comment: And here I thought it was proved by Marshall H. Stone but [[Stigler's law of eponymy|named for some other Stone]].


{{Infobox settlement <!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
| name = New York City
| official_name                   = <del>City of New York</del>
| settlement_type                 = <del>[[City]]</del>
| image_skyline                   = NYC Montage 2014 4 - Jleon.jpg
| imagesize                       = 305px
| image_caption                   = Clockwise, from top: [[Midtown Manhattan]], [[Times Square]], the [[Unisphere]], the [[Brooklyn Bridge]], [[Lower Manhattan]] with [[One World Trade Center]], [[Central Park]], the [[headquarters of the United Nations]], and the [[Statue of Liberty]]
}}
;''Multiple choice:'' In [https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=875570183 what article] does the infobox at right appear?
:(A) New York State
:(B) New York County
:(C) New York '''<big><u>CITY</u></big>''' <== {{smallcaps|hint}}
:(D) New York University


{{shortcut|WP:OHTHATPARIS}}
;In the article [https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=850783220 ''Glenn Miller:'']
::{{tq|On December 15, 1944, Miller was to fly from the United Kingdom to Paris, <s>France,</s> to make arrangements to move his band there.}}
:Comment: So not [[Paris, Texas]].


;{{anchor|commission}}In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=786102379 Irish Boundary Commission]:''
::{{tq|The '''Irish Boundary Commission''' <del>was a commission which</del> met in 1924–25 to decide on the precise delineation of the border between the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland.}}
:Comment: So{{nbsp}}... the commission was a commission?


;{{anchor|commission}}In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1021818209 Oliver Cromwell's head]:''
::{{tq|<del>'''Oliver Cromwell's head''' is the head of [[Oliver Cromwell]].</del>}}
:Comment: Just kill me now. I mean it. What kind of world is this?


;{{anchor|tax cuts}}In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=874467613 Donald Trump]:''
::{{tq|He signed <s>tax cut</s> legislation which cut tax rates for individuals and businesses.}}
:Comment: A sax player who plays saxes, a fax machine that sends faxes, a tax cut that cuts taxes. ([[demagogue|Just ''whose'' taxes is another question]].)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=844521515 Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry]:''
::{{tq|The '''Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry''' <s>is a society devoted to the history of alchemy and chemistry. The Society</s> was founded as the ''Society for the Study of Alchemy and Early Chemistry'' in 1935.}}
:Comment: Surprise!


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=802628609 Hardcore Henry]:''
::{{tq|After she replaces a missing arm and leg with <s>hi-tech</s> cybernetic prostheses, mercenaries led by the psychokinetic Akan raid the ship.}}
:Comment: Are there low-tech cybernetic prostheses?


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=847688703 Bunk bed]:''
::{{tq|The bunk or bunks above the lowest one may have rails to keep the user from rolling out<s> and falling to the floor</s> while sleeping.}}
:Comment: For those innocent of the workings of gravity.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=892621129#Social_and_historical_consequences 1257 Samalas eruption]'':
::{{tq|Very large volcanic eruptions can cause destruction close to the volcano{{nbsp}}...}}
:Comment: For those innocent of the workings of volcanoes. (This is the least of what's wrong with this passage. Follow the link{{snd}}if you dare!)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=894651426 Truth or Consequences, New Mexico]:''
::{{tq|Hot Springs officially changed its name on March 31, 1950, and the program was broadcast from there the following evening<s>, April 1</s>}}
:Comment: For those innocent of the workings of the calendar.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=996252121 Svalbard]:''
::{{tq|The islands were first used as a whaling base <del>by whalers who sailed far north in pursuit of whales</del> in the 17th and 18th centuries, after which they were abandoned.}}
:Comment: For those innocent of the workings of whaling.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=881338372 Battle of Tali-Ihantala]:''
::{{tq|On June 28, air activity was high on both sides as Finnish bombers and German Stukas pounded the Soviet formations. <s>The Soviet Air Force also attacked from the air and hit the staff of the Finnish Armored Division hard with bombers from the Soviet 276th Bomber Division.</s> <u>and the Soviet 276th Bomber Division hit the Finnish troops hard.</u> }}
:Comment: These bombers attacked from the air, you say?


;On the dabpage [https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=872720435 ''Horváth'']:
::{{tq|The surname "[[Horvat]]", <s>without the "h"</s> still exists and is the most common surname in Croatia or the Croatian diaspora.}}
:Comment: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAYUuspQ6BY#t=29s Hear them down in Soho Square{{nbsp}}...]


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=809268882 Chloe]:''
::{{tq|'''Chloe''' (also ''Chloë'', ''[[Chloé (given name)|Chloé]]'') is a feminine name <s>for girls</s>.}}
:Comment: There really should be more feminine names for boys and masculine names for girls.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=836658355 Henry Riggs Rathbone]:''
::{{tq|Rathbone <s>successfully</s> graduated from Phillips Academy in 1888, from Yale University in 1892, and from the Law Department at the University of Wisconsin in 1894.}}
:Comment: Graduations are usually successful (except of course a graduation from Yale, which by definition is the first in a [https://dev.thecrimson.com/article/2016/4/15/thoughts-for-visitas/ lifelong string of degradations]).


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=858982984 Stokes Croft]:''
::{{tq|'''Stokes Croft''' is <s>the name of</s> a road in Bristol, England.}}
:Comment: An [[Haddocks' Eyes#Naming|earlier version]] read {{tq|'''Stokes Croft''' is what the name of a road in Bristol, England is called.}}


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beaumaris&diff=1060466752&oldid=1060466671 Beaumaris]:''
::{{tq|<s>Here is an image of the</s> front houses <s>of Beaumaris.</s>}}
:Comment: ''[[The Treachery of Images|Ceci n'est pas une maison]]''. Or, if you prefer, ''Nid tŷ mo hwn''. Nos da.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_St_Andrews_Railway&diff=1060613720&oldid=1056063241 The St Andrews Railway]:''
::{{tq|Dismantled viaduct over the River Eden. <s>This photograph was from a similar position to the first photograph</s>}}
:Comment: If the viaduct had been sold to an [[Robert P. McCulloch|unsuspecting American]], ''that'' would have been worth mentioning.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=877148287 Distomo]'':
::{{tq| <s>The aluminum producing company</s> [[Aluminium of Greece]] has its production facilities in the coastal village Agios Nikolaos.}}
:Comment: Ha! Obviously these people don't know the difference between aluminum and aluminium.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=889628493 Caribou, Maine]'':
::{{tq|The Caribou Public Library is a [[Carnegie library]]. Designed in the [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Romanesque Revival]] style by local architect Schuyler C. Page, it was built in 1911-1912 with a $10,000 grant <s>from [[industrialist]] [[Andrew Carnegie]]</s>.}}
:Comment: Is there a Carnegie library that Andrew Carnegie did ''not'' finance? Or was there some other heretofore unknown [[Carnegie (surname)|Carnegie]] financing American libraries with whom he might be confused?


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=891558985 Alice Herz-Sommer]'':
::{{tq|She lived for 40 years in [[Israel]], before migrating to London in 1986, where she resided until her death, and at the age of 110 was the world's oldest known [[Holocaust survivor]] until [[Yisrael Kristal]] was recognized as such. Kristal <s>was also a Holocaust survivor, and</s> was born two months before Herz-Sommer.}}
:Comment: For readers with short-term memory deficits.


[[File:Herren_og_hans_tjenere,_Nationaltheatret_-_L0062_959Fo30141701260002.jpg|thumb|upright=0.9|Working out {{nobr|10{{thinsp}}+{{thinsp}}3}}]]
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=962575700 Turpin case]'':
::{{tq|From 1988 to 2015, they had <del>13 children total;</del> ten daughters and three sons.}}
:Comment: To save our readers mental strain.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=892569631 Soyuz-FG]'':
::{{tq|... resulted in the destruction of the rocket. The crew, NASA astronaut [[Nick Hague]] and Russian cosmonaut [[Aleksey Ovchinin]], escaped safely <s>and successfully</s>.}}
:Comment: Whatever that means.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=893755619 Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg]'':
::{{tq|About four hours after the blaze broke out, one of the three remaining cupolas had been damaged but the fire was contained. <del>A department spokesman later confirmed that the fire had been extinguished.</del>}}
:Comment: Lest the reader imagine that it [[Centralia mine fire|burns to this day]].


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=900669719 Adele Spitzeder]'':
::{{tq|Officially founded shortly afterwards in 1869, the "Spitzedersche Privatbank" <del>(English: Spitzeder Private Bank)</del> quickly grew from an insider tip to a large company.}}
:Comment: Thank you. I was completely at sea.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=905667956 The Owl and the Pussycat]'':
::{{tq|Portions of an unfinished sequel, "The Children of the Owl and the Pussycat" were published first posthumously, during 1938. <s> How the pair procreated is unspecified.</s>}}
:Comment: It's a children's book, after all.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=934756963 Turner syndrome]'':
::{{tq|Turner syndrome is not usually inherited <del>from a person's parents</del>.}}
:Comment: And certainly not from their rich uncle.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=902614822 Earthquake weather]'':
::{{tq|Aristotle proposed in the 4th century BC that earthquakes were caused by winds trapped in <s>subterranean</s> caves.}}
:Comment: Extraterrestrial caves would have made for a more surprising theory.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=937901985 Jascha Heifetz]:''
::{{tq|The incident made headlines <del>in the press</del> and Heifetz defiantly announced that he would not stop playing the Strauss.}}
:Comment: Yeah, that's usually where headlines appear.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1011821617 Celia Cooney]:''
::{{tq|After their marriage, Celia became pregnant <del>with a child</del>.}}
:Comment: So not puppies.


;In our article on serial killer ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1031852543 Juan Corona]:''
::{{tq|In early January 1974, Corona's wife, Gloria, filed for divorce in Fairfield<del>, citing irreconcilable differences</del>.}}
:Comment: So I guess she wasn't cool with the hacking 25 guys to death.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=1038775523 Lauren Laverne]:''
::{{tq|She is a supporter of [[Sunderland AFC]]<del> in football</del>.}}
:Comment: Such a shame nobody supports the Sunderland Amateur Flower Collectors any more.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=next&oldid=1040631120 Harald Quandt]:''
::{{tq|Harald Quandt's five daughters inherited about 1.5 billion Deutsche Mark ($760 million, €585 million) and later increased their wealth through the Harald Quandt Holding GmbH, a German-based family investment company and trust <del>named after their father</del>.}}
:Comment: In case the reader is [https://www.livescience.com/goldfish-memory.html a goldfish].


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=1048001273 2021 United States Capitol attack]:''
::{{tq|On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was <del>violently</del> attacked by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump.}}
:Comment: Well it certainly wasn't a verbal attack.


;In the article [https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Ward_%28comedian%29&type=revision&diff=1052653118&oldid=1052652575 Mike Ward (comedian)]:
::{{tq|Gabriel had received a bone-anchored hearing aid at age 6, <del>which allowed him to hear</del>.}}
:Comment: Because it's an <u>aid</u> to <u>hearing</u>.

==Crime and its detection==

;In the lead of ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=770006984 Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum theft]:''
::{{tq|Once inside, the pair <s>revealed their true intentions,</s> tied up the guards, and spent over an hour stealing art from the museum's collection<s>, which they loaded into their vehicle</s>.}}
:Comment: The guards probably sensed their visitors' "true intentions" around the time they got tied up, and our readers will make the same inference vicariously. Furthermore, in this modern age most readers will envision art thieves as having a vehicle at the ready. (Had they absconded via public transport, or [https://www.ispot.tv/ad/A34A/geico-getaway-car-its-not-surprising summoned an Uber], THAT would be worth mentioning.)


; In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=765862166 University of Texas Tower Shooting]:''
::{{tq|1=He then drove to a hardware store, where he purchased a Universal M1 carbine, two additional ammunition magazines and eight boxes of ammunition, telling the cashier he planned to hunt wild hogs. At a gun shop he purchased four further carbine magazines, six additional boxes of ammunition, and a can of gun cleaning solvent. He then drove to Sears, where he purchased a Sears Model 60 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun before returning home <s>with his purchases</s>.}}
:Comment: If he'd bought all that stuff and then left it at the store, THAT would be worth mentioning.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=799548050 Murder of Jo Cox]:''
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title      = Murder of Jo Cox
| location   = Market Street, [[Birstall, West Yorkshire]], England
| date       = 16 June 2016
| type       = Shooting, [[stabbing]]
| fatalities = 1
| perp       = Thomas Mair
| weapons    = <s>Firearm, knife</s>
}}
::{{tq|He witnessed the assailant stab Cox, <s>who fell to the ground, before shooting her and stabbing her again</s> <u>shoot her, then stab her again</u>. The attacker <s>left the scene, but</s> was pursued by an eyewitness who <s>followed him</s> <s>and telephoned police to describe his location</s> <u>identified him to police</u>. <s>Armed police officers attended the incident, and arrested a suspect</s>.}}
:Comment: There's a lot to say about this one.
::*''<s>who fell to the ground</s>:'' Persons stabbed and shot, then stabbed again, usually go down. (Extra points for the ambiguous suggestion that the witness may have shot and stabbed the victim.)
::*''<s>left the scene</s>:'' If the shooter/stabber had stuck around, THAT would be worth mentioning.
::*''was pursued by an eyewitness <s>who followed him</s>:'' That's what pursuers do.
::*''telephoned police <s>to describe his location</s>:'' Usually people calling for help give the location.
::*''<s>Armed police officers attended the incident</s>:'' Even in law-abiding, Queensberry-Rules, you-got-me-copper-fair-and-square England, readers will imagine that amongst officers dispatched to the shooting/stabbing of a Member of Parliament, at least some will be armed with more than their charming accents and unfailing courtesy.
::*''<s>and arrested a suspect</s>:'' That's what happens when an eyewitness points out the gunman. Had police let him off with just a stern talking-to, THAT would be worth mentioning.
::As for the infobox, unless told otherwise readers will assume that a shooting/stabbing will have involved a gun and a knife.
{{clear}}


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=970901328 Apartheid]:''
::{{tq|On 6 September 1966, Verwoerd was fatally stabbed at Parliament House by parliamentary messenger [[Dimitri Tsafendas]]<del>, who was arrested and quickly imprisoned</del>.}}
:Comment: See last bullet{{refn|So to speak.}} above.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=998603146 Brahmaputra Mail train bombing]:''
{{Infobox civilian attack
| title      =  Brahmaputra Mail train bombing
| location   = [[Western Assam]], [[India]]
| date       = 30 December 1996
| fatalities = 33
| type=Train bombing
| weapons= <s>Bomb</s>}}



:Comment: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIjBO26qjYM#t=45s Bomb? What are you giving him a bomb for?]
{{clear}}

;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=951801174 Allard K. Lowenstein]:''
::{{tq|On March 14, 1980 Lowenstein was shot in his [[Manhattan]] office by Sweeney, who was mentally ill and believed that Lowenstein was plotting against him. Sweeney then calmly waited for the police to arrive <del>and arrest him</del>.}}
:Comment: ''[Left as an exercise for the reader]''


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=805874833 Death of Elisa Lam]:''
::{{tq|On the morning of February 19, an employee went to the roof, where four 1,000-gallon water tanks provided water pumped from the city's supply, to the guest rooms, a kitchen, and a coffee shop downstairs. In one of them, he found Lam's body, floating face up a foot below the water surface. <s>Police responded.</s>}}
:Comment: ''[Left as an exercise for the reader]''


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=952739805 University of Alabama in Huntsville shooting]:''
::{{tq|During the course of a routine meeting of the biology department attended by approximately 12 people, Amy Bishop, a biology professor at the university, stood up and began shooting those closest to her with a Ruger P95 handgun. <del>Bishop was suspended without pay retroactively on the day of the attack.</del>}}
:Comment: Academic freedom has its limits, I guess.


[[File:Keystone-Cops-1912.jpg|thumb|Nonetheless we better keep after him.]]
;From ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1015518356 List of fugitives from justice who are no longer sought]:''
::{{tq|He was found dead in 1959 <del>and is no longer sought by the police</del>.}}
:Comment: Damn lazy cops will use ANY EXCUSE.


;In the article [https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=813295470 ''Rodney Alcala'']:
::{{tq|Her murder <s>would remain unsolved until it</s> was connected to Alcala in 2011.}}
:Comment: Murders usually remain unsolved until they're solved. See also [[WP:INTOTHEWOULDS]].


{{anchor|ted}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org?oldid=779882434 Ted Bundy]:''
::{{tq|He broke through the ceiling into the apartment of the chief jailer—<s>who was out for the evening with his wife</s>—changed into street clothes from the jailer's closet, and walked out the front door<s> to freedom</s>.}}
:Comment: While it's nice to know a busy chief jailer still has time for his spouse, absent mention of a confrontation the reader's common sense will tell him that no one was home. (Had [[Kate Soffel|Mrs. Turnkey helped Bundy pick out a tie]], or had Bundy gone back to the jail to turn himself in, THAT would be worth mentioning.)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org?diff=next&oldid=779981665 Seth Black (serial killer)]:''
::{{tq|At the request of Scottish detectives, the Metropolitan Police <s>conducted a search of</s> <u>searched</u> Black's Stamford Hill lodgings<s> to determine whether any [[incriminating evidence]] existed at Black's address</s>.}}
:Comment: Yes, well, that's usually what they're trying to determine. (And click the link for a surprise.)


[[File:P.G. Wodehouse - My Man Jeeves - 1st American edition (1920 printing) - Crop.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|Will there be anything else, sir?]]
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org?diff=788491568 Eric Muenter]:''
::{{tq|Morgan lunged at his attacker and tackled Muenter to the ground as he fired two rounds into Morgan's groin and thigh. Morgan's butler finished subduing Muenter, beating him senseless with a lump of coal. Morgan quickly <del>summoned a doctor and</del> recovered, returning to work on August 14.}}
:Comment: If financier [[J.P. Morgan]] got shot in the groin and ''didn't'' summon a doctor, or summoned him other than "quickly", THAT would be worth mentioning. (Kudos to the resourceful butler.)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org?diff=prev&oldid=949757137 Lindbergh kidnapping]:''
::{{tq|Taking a gun, Lindbergh went around the house and grounds with butler Olly Whateley; they found impressions in the ground under the window of the baby's room and pieces of a cleverly designed wooden ladder. They also found a baby's blanket. Whateley telephoned the Hopewell police department <del>to inform them of the missing child</del>.}}
:Comment: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEB-OoUrNuk#t=1m38s Not just to say hello?]


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=903962891 Assassination of John F. Kennedy]'':
::{{tq|President Kennedy's blood-stained jacket, shirt and tie <s>worn during the assassination</s> are stored in the National Archives facility in College Park, Maryland.}}
:Comment: So not from that time he cut himself shaving.
::{{tq|The gun with which Ruby <s>shot and</s> killed Oswald, which came into the possession of Ruby's brother Earl, was sold in 1991 for $220,000.}}
:Comment: The reader will assume, unless told otherwise, that the gun was not used to bludgeon Oswald to death.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=985919162 Jodie Foster]'':
::{{tq|<!--On March 30, 1981, Hinckley attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan, wounding him and three other people, claiming that his motive was to impress Foster{{nbsp}}... -->While at Yale, Foster also had other stalkers, including a man who planned to kill her but changed his mind after watching her perform in a college play. <del>The experience was difficult for Foster.</del>}}
:Comment: Snowflake.


{{shortcut|WP:CAPTIONOBVIOUS|WP:THANKYOUCAPTIONOBVIOUS}}
<br/>
{{anchor|photos|captions}}

== Capacious captions for unerring identification ==
{{clear}}

{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| In the article <br/> '''{{diff2|797101830|Assassination of Abraham Lincoln}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''{{diff2|872635393|Horst Wessel}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''{{diff2|797947874|''The Wizard of Oz'' (1939 film)}}''':

|- valign=top
| [[File:Lincoln assassination slide c1900 - Restoration.jpg|thumb|none|250px|<s>From left to right: assassin </s>[[John Wilkes Booth]], Abraham Lincoln, [[Mary Todd Lincoln]], [[Clara Harris]], and [[Henry Rathbone]] ]]
| [[File:Horst Wessel as an infant in a family photo from 1907.gif|thumb|none|200px|Wessel <s>as an infant</s> with his mother and father, 1907]]
| {{multiple image
 | align = center
 | total_width = 350
 | image1 = The Wizard of Oz Lahr Garland Bolger Haley 1939.jpg
 | caption1 = The film's main characters <s>(left to right)</s>: the [[Cowardly Lion]], [[Dorothy Gale|Dorothy]], [[Scarecrow (Oz)|Scarecrow]], and the [[Tin Woodman|Tin Man]]
 | image2 =The Wizard of Oz Bert Lahr 1939.jpg
 | caption2 = Bert Lahr<s>, in costume</s> as The Cowardly Lion
 }}

|- valign=top
| ''It's a common misconception that the <br/> man with the gun is Mrs. Lincoln.''
| ''You don't say!''
| {{left|''The word "unnecessary" <br/> hardly does justice.''}} {{right|''Not a bad case <br/> of hirsutism?''}}

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|view|views}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan=2 | Various views from '''{{diff2|761719803|Donald Trump}}''':
| In the article  '''{{diff2|860753031|The Pentagon}}''':

|- valign=top
| [[File:Turnberry Hotel.jpg|thumb|none|275px|<s>A view of</s> the [[Turnberry Hotel]], in [[Ayrshire]], Scotland]]
| [[File:Trump Rally in Cincinnati.jpg|thumb|none|250px|<s>View of the crowd attending</s> a Trump rally in the [[U.S. Bank Arena]], [[Cincinnati, Ohio]] on October 13, 2016]]
| [[File:The Pentagon US Department of Defense building.jpg|thumb|none|275px|Southwesterly view <s>of the Pentagon</s> in 1998, with the [[Potomac River]] and [[Washington Monument]] in background]]

|- valign=top
| ''The reader will know without being told that <br/> this is a "view".''
| ''We're safe in assuming that the reader <br/> will intuit that this "view" shows a "crowd".''
| ''Thus not some other five-sided <br/>megastructure for some reason being <br/> shown us in the article ''The Pentagon''.''

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|buildings|gore|bingo|jackpot}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| Honoring '''{{diff2|777612245|James Agee}}''':
| In the article '''{{diff2|822858558|Theta waves}}''':
| Meanwhile, [https://commons.wikimedia.org/?diff=324818317 back in Cambridge]:

|- valign=top
| [[File:James-agee-park-knoxville-tn1.jpg|thumb|none|275px|James Agee Park in the [[Fort Sanders (Knoxville neighborhood)|Fort Sanders]] neighborhood of [[Knoxville, Tennessee]]<s> is named after the author.</s>]]
| valign=middle | [[File:eeg theta.svg|thumb|none|300px|<del>Example of</del> an EEG theta wave]]
| [[File:AmCyc Harvard University - Gore Hall.jpg|thumb|none|250px|Woodcut <s>representing a view</s> of Gore Hall at Harvard University]]

|- valign=top
| ''Who would have guessed?''
| nowrap | ''Could have been worse{{snd}}it could have said <br/> "Picture representing an example of an EEG <br/> theta wave"?''
| ''Bingo!''

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|icebox|book}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| The lead (and only) image in '''{{diff2|799386560|Twist tie}}''':
| In the article '''{{diff2|864423676|''The Desire of Ages''}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''{{oldid2|922297664|UC Berkeley School of Law}}''':

|- valign=top
| [[File:Twist-ties.jpg|thumb|none|300px|<s>Twist ties of different colors.</s>]]
| [[File:Desire of Ages.jpg|thumb|none|180px|<s>A picture of the book</s>]]
| [[Image:Berkeley boalt hall exp.jpg|thumb|none|upright=0.8|Boalt Hall's law library was expanded in 1996 with the North Addition<del>, pictured above</del>.]]

|- valign=top
| ''Great example of an image <br/> that [[WP:CAP|doesn't need a caption.]]''
| ''Recently inducted into the Principle <br/> of Some Astonishment Hall of Fame{{snd}}<br/>caption and image both.''
| ''I weep.''

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|infobox|infoboxes}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| In the article <br/> '''{{diff2|790933590|Boston Consolidated TRACON}}'''<br>(whatever that is):
| The lead image for <br/>  '''{{diff2|823627589|CNN International}}''':
| The lead image for '''{{diff2|873416851|Earth}}''':

|- valign=top
| rowspan=2 | [[File:A90 exterior.JPG|thumb|none|275px|The Boston Consolidated TRACON <s>from the outside</s>]]
| {{Infobox television channel
| name         = CNN International
| logo         = Cnn logo red background.png
| logo_size    = 110px
| logo_caption = <s>CNN International logo</s>
| launch_date  = {{start date|1985|9|1}}
| owner        = [[Turner Broadcasting System]]
| country      = [[United States]]
}}
| rowspan=2 | {{Infobox planet
| bgcolour  = #c0c0ff
| name      = Earth
| symbol    = 
| image     = The Earth seen from Apollo 17.jpg
| image_size= 175px
| caption   = ''[[The Blue Marble]]'' photograph <s>of Earth,</s> taken during the [[Apollo 17]] lunar mission in 1972
}}

|-
| rowspan=2 | ''[[wikt:no_shit,_Sherlock#Interjection|No shit, Sherlock]].'' <small>''(Turns out this is the logo<br/>for ''all'' CNN brands, not just CNN International{{snd}}<br/>an example of the impulse to add the obvious <br/> leading, instead, to addition of the inaccurate.)''</small>

|- valign=top
| ''And here I thought they had a [[The Truman Show|giant indoor <br/> lawn, miniature building-within-a-building, <br/> and artificial sky]].''
| ''Earth. Yes,  Earth. '''Planet''' Earth. <br/> The <big><big>'''lead image'''</big></big> in the article <big><big>'''Earth'''.</big></big>''

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|queen|funerals}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| In the article <br/> '''{{oldid2|797730803|Acceleration_of_decolonisation|Elizabeth II}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''{{diff2|712668405|Senghenydd colliery disaster}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''[[Harry Elkins Widener]]''':

|- valign=top
| rowspan=2 | [[File:President and Mrs. Nixon meet with Her Majesty the Queen and Prime Minister Heath in England - NARA - 194333.tif|thumb|none|250px|The Queen with Edward Heath <s>(left)</s> and First Lady Pat Nixon, 1970]]  ''Because we weren't sure which one is <br/> Edward Heath. (Apparently we're on <br/> our  own  for Pat Nixon vs. the Queen.)''
| [[File:Senghenydd pit disaster 24.jpg|thumb|none|275px|The funeral of <del>one of the dead miners,</del> <u>miner</u> E. Gilbert, a colour sergeant in [[The Salvation Army]]]] ''Lest readers imagine that [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DscJ5PFkZxQ survivors were buried].''
| rowspan=2 | {{anchor|harry}}{{Infobox person
| name        = Harry Elkins Widener | image = Harry E. Widener.jpg | image_size = 120px
| caption     = <s>Harry Elkins Widener</s> | birth_date  = {{Birth date|1885|01|03}}
| birth_place = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] | death_date  = {{Death date and age|1912|04|15|1885|01|03}}
| death_place = [[Atlantic Ocean]] ([[RMS Titanic]]) | known_for = Namesake of [[Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library]]
| signature   = Harry E. Widener signature.png
}} {{clear}} ''Did we mention that it's Harry Elkins Widener?''

|-
| [[File:ILN – Senghenydd Colliery Disaster 3.jpeg|thumb|none|275px|Crowds wait for news at the [[Universal Colliery]] <del>after the disaster</del>]] ''Yes, since they're not clairvoyant.''

|}
<br/>
<br/>

{{anchor|rifleman|penguin}}
{| style="border-spacing: 20px 0;"
|- style="text-align:center;"
| In the article <br/> '''{{oldid2|906260050|Chuck Connors}}''':
| In the article <br/> '''{{oldid2|875928527|Second voyage, 1904|Scottish National Antarctic Expedition}}''':

|- valign=top
| [[File:Chuck Connors Beverly Englander The Rifleman 1961.JPG|thumb|none|250px|Chuck Connors <del>(right)</del> filming a 1961 episode of ''[[The Rifleman]]''.]]
| [[File:Scotiapiper.jpg|thumb|left|450px|alt=Man on right in Scots highland costume, playing bagpipes, while on the left a lone penguin stands. The ground is covered in ice, with a high ice ridge in the background.|Expedition member Gilbert Kerr <s>(left)</s> playing the bagpipes beside a penguin, March 1904]]

|- valign=top
| ''The one with the breasts and the hairdo <br/> is Edward Heath.''
| ''Bearing in mind that left and right are reversed south of the equator.''
|}


;An image in '''{{diff2|927080086|Leverett House}}''':
[[File:Leverett House.JPG|left|thumb|Leverett F-Tower, with the library <del>visible</del> in the foreground]]
{{clear}}
:Comment: If the library were invisible, THAT would be worth mentioning.

{{clear}}


;An image in '''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1027697208 Disappearance of Brian Shaffer]''':
[[File:Brian Shaffer - Missing OSU medical student.jpg|thumb|upright=0.7|left|Shaffer <del>before his disappearance</del>]]
{{clear}}
:Comment: Otherwise I'd say he's unusually visible for a disappeared person.

{{clear}}

==Special section on modes of exit and ancillary details of death==

;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=914059416 Coniston Water]:''
::{{tq|Campbell was <del>killed instantly on impact when</del> decapitated by the K7's windscreen.}}
:Comment: For those innocent of the workings of decapitations.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=742138027 Marshall Newell]:''
::{{tq|In December 1896, Newell became an assistant division superintendent of the Boston and Albany Railroad. He was killed on Christmas Eve 1897 when an engine backed over him <del>on the tracks</del> at Springfield, Massachusetts..}}
:Comment: Where else would an engine back over someone?


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=857402282 Murder of Deborah Linsley]:''
::{{tq|She sustained eleven stab wounds to the face, neck and abdomen, of which at least five were to the area around the heart{{nbsp}}... The coroner highlighted that, although passengers reported hearing "a commotion", nobody investigated. <s>A verdict of unlawful killing was returned.</s>}}
:Comment: If the verdict had been suicide, THAT would be worth mentioning.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=951420869 John Wayne Gacy]:''
::{{tq|Gacy conned Butkovich into allowing his wrists to be cuffed behind his back, at which point Gacy strangled him <del>to death</del> and buried his body under the concrete floor of his garage{{nbsp}}... Mowery was strangled <del>to death</del> and buried in the northwest corner of the crawl space{{nbsp}}... Both Winch and Boling were strangled <del>to death</del> and buried in the crawl space.}}
:Comment: The reader will conclude, unless told otherwise, that someone strangled and buried probably died in between.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=889918907 Lyndon B. Johnson]:''
::{{tq|At approximately 3:39&nbsp;p.m. Central Time on January 22, 1973, Johnson suffered a massive heart attack in his bedroom. He managed to telephone the Secret Service agents on the ranch, who found him still holding the telephone receiver <del>in his hand</del>.}}
:Comment: I'm trying to imagine the alternatives.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=830170623 Grace Kelly]:''
::{{tq|Rainier, who did not remarry, was buried alongside her <del>following his death</del> in 2005.}}
:Comment: Had [[Prince Rainier of Monaco]] been buried alive, THAT would be worth mentioning.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=926878824 Brooklyn Navy Yard]:''
::{{tq|Many of the prisoners died and were <del>subsequently</del> buried}}
:Comment: Small mercies.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=829989903 Simon Meyer Kuper]:''
::{{tq|On the evening of 8 March 1963, Kuper, who was at home with his wife and daughter, was shot through a window by an unknown assailant. He died <del>of his injuries</del> twelve days later.}}
:Comment: If he was shot by an unknown assailant but died twelve days later on being [[User:EEng#hightension|surprised by a train]], THAT would be worth mentioning.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=998350695 Johnny Cash]:''
::{{tq|Cash's older brother Jack, with whom he was close, was <del>seriously</del> injured <del>in an accident</del> at his job in a high school when he was pulled into an unguarded [[table saw]] while cutting oak into fence posts, and was almost cut in two. He died <del>from his injuries</del> a week later.}}
:Comment: Generally speaking, injuries that kill you are serious. And had he been pulled into a table saw intentionally, THAT would be worth mentioning.


{{anchor|sleep}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=869849591 James Sisnett]:''
::{{tq|Sisnett died in his sleep <s>of natural causes</s> on 23 May 2013, at the age of 113 years, 90 days.}}
:Comment: Had the 113-year-old man died in his sleep ''not'' of natural causes, THAT would be worth mentioning.


{{shortcut|WP:MURDERBYDEATH}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=886712413 Murder of Kristine Fitzhugh]:''
::{{tq|Music teacher '''Kristine Fitzhugh''' (<ins>born </ins>1947<del>{{ndash}}2000</del>) was murdered on May 5, 2000 in her home in Palo Alto, California.}}
:Comment: Obviously.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=795890115 Karen Carpenter]:''
::{{tq|Paramedics found her heart beating once every 10 seconds. She was taken to nearby Downey Community Hospital <s>for treatment</s>.}}
:Comment: Thanks for clarifying.


;{{anchor|mortally}}In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=881935734 Faylaka Island attack]:''
::{{tq|he was ultimately mortally wounded <del>and subsequently died</del>.}}
:Comment:  ''Quelle surprise''.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org?diff=782924355 Gary M. Heidnik]:''
::{{tq|Heidnik was executed by lethal injection on July 6, 1999, at State Correctional Institution{{snd}}Rockview in Centre County, Pennsylvania. His body was <s>later</s> cremated.}}
:Comment: Gosh, I hope so.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=812252847 Roy L. Dennis]:''
::{{tq|His body was donated to [[UCLA Medical Center]] <s>after he died</s>.}}
:Comment: Ditto.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=859076670 Miguel Serrano]:''
::{{tq|He remained in contact with neo-Nazis elsewhere <del>in the world</del> and gave interviews to various foreign far-right publications <s>prior to his death</s>.}}
:Comment: Ditto.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1022053054 Ran (film)]:''
::{{tq|The project was the second of two which allowed Kurosawa and Takemitsu to collaborate <del>during their lifetimes</del>.}}
:Comment: Ditto.


{{shortcut|WP:DEADMENDONTRUN}}
;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=984565273 Joe Biden]:''
::{{tq|<del>Before his death,</del> Beau had been widely seen as the frontrunner for the 2016 Democratic nomination for governor of Delaware.}}
:Comment: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/10/01/five-people-have-won-election-to-congress-despite-being-dead/] notwithstanding.


;In the article ''<u>[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=899408692 Jean de Florette]</u>:''
::{{tq|The film starred three of France's most prominent actors{{snd}}Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, who won a BAFTA award for his performance, and Yves Montand in one of his last roles <del>before his death</del>.}}
:Comment: Let's see. Um... ''Ditto?''


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=862927894 Wiley Post]:''
[[File:Will Rogers and Wiley Post cph.3b05600.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.5|Post with Will Rogers <s>before their deaths</s>, August 1935]]
<br/><br/>Comment: Ditto. Or maybe they'd already died and Dr. Frankenstein reanimated them.
{{clear}}


;From ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=920329388 List of inventors killed by their own inventions]:''
[[File:Flying tailor.png|left|upright=0.8|thumb|[[Franz Reichelt]] (d. 1912) attempted to use this contraption as a parachute.  Reichelt died after he jumped off the [[Eiffel Tower]] wearing his invention, <del>which failed to operate as he had expected</del>.]]
<br/><br/>Comment: If death had been a consequence of his invention [[euthanasia device|operating as expected]], THAT would be worth mentioning.
{{clear}}


;From ''the [https://commons.wikimedia.org/?oldid=166794169 article description page for a photo of wrestler Frank Gotch]:''
[[File:Frank-gotch.jpg|left|upright=0.8|thumb|Photo was taken <del>before his death</del> in 1917]]
<br/><br/>Comment: Or maybe he's stuffed. (The description also says {{tq|Date: 1918}} but we won't go there.)
{{clear}}

==Principle of Complete Puzzlement==
{{anchor|risotto|skittles}}
{{shortcut|WP:PUZZLEMENT|WP:RISOTTO|WP:CORNCOBS|WP:SKITTLES}}
The opposite of the Principle of Some Astonishment is the '''Principle of Complete Puzzlement''': some details don't belong because, though neither obvious nor even predictable, they're completely irrelevant and will puzzle the reader as to the reason for their inclusion.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/?diff=767217507 Chuck Schumer]:''
::{{tq|In March 2009, Schumer announced his support for same-sex marriage, noting that it "was time". Schumer previously supported civil unions. At a private <s>[[risotto]]</s> dinner with gay leaders{{nbsp}}...}}
:Comment: Gay risotto must be especially persuasive.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/?diff=984085446 Joe Biden]:''
::{{tq|On December 18, 1972, Biden's wife Neilia and their one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in an automobile accident in Hockessin, Delaware. Neilia Biden's station wagon was hit by a tractor-trailer truck <del>carrying corn cobs</del> as she pulled out from an intersection.}}
:Comment: Specifying a killer truck's contents almost always makes death seem undignified no matter the cargo: corn cobs, pork bellies, nail clippers, La-Z-Boys{{nbsp}}...


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=882297395 Trayvon Martin]:'' <!--NEEDS TO PRECEDE /Jim Bell/ -->
::{{tq|On the evening of February 26, Martin was walking back alone to the fiancée's house <s>after purchasing a bag of [[Skittles (confectionery)|Skittles]] and an Arizona iced tea at</s> <u>from</u> a nearby convenience store.}}
:Comment: Somewhat awkward [[product placement]]s. As ''The Washington Post'' put it, "Skittles can't seem to escape political controversies."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/09/22/skittles-gave-the-perfect-response-to-donald-trump-jr/ |title=Skittles can't seem to escape political controversies |last=McGregor |first=Jena |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 22, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2016}}</ref>


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=927788681 Jim Bell]:'' <!-- NEEDS TO FOLLOPW /Trayvon Martin/ -->
::{{tq|The ATF stated that it had planted a <del>covert</del> [[GPS]] system in Bell's car and that it had tracked <del>the movements of his [[Nissan Maxima]]</del> <ins>its movements</ins> in real time.}}
:Comment: Ditto (with extra points for explaining that the tracking device planted in the suspect’s car was "covert").


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/w/?diff=964872074 Derek Chauvin]:''
::{{tq|He took food preparation courses at a technical college and worked as a cook at [[McDonald's]] and at a local <del>[[Italian-American cuisine|Italian-American]]</del> restaurant.}}
:Comment: So heartburn made him do it? (Linking <code><nowiki>[[Italian-American cuisine|Italian-American]]</nowiki></code> is especially pointless.)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=821044761 2015 Thalys train attack]:''
::{{tq|The remaining passengers were taken to <s>a gym in</s> Arras, where they were searched and identified before being allowed to proceed to Paris.}}
:Comment: Good to know they could get in some cardio while waiting.


{{anchor|wig}}
;In the article on courageous flight attendant '' [[Barbara Jane Harrison]]:''
::{{tq|1=[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=842927050 <s>On the day of the accident, as was often her practice when on duty, Harrison was wearing a black wig.</s>]}}
:Comment: Even in death a girl should always look her best, I guess. (Personal note: give the article a read; she was truly a hero.)


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?oldid=881486801 Lightning strike]:''
::{{tq|Sixty-eight dairy cows<s>, all full of milk,</s> died on a farm at Fernbrook on the Waterfall Way near Dorrigo, New South Wales, after being involved in a lightning incident.}}
:Comment: Perhaps they used all that boiled milk to [[When life gives you lemons, make lemonade|make cocoa]].


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=prev&oldid=899686617 James F. Blake]'':
::{{tq|James Fred Blake (April 14, 1912{{snd}}March 21, 2002) was the bus driver whom [[Rosa Parks]] defied in 1955, prompting the [[Montgomery Bus Boycott]]. Born on Apri1{{nbsp}}14, 1912, <del>the same day that the British passenger liner {{RMS|Titanic}} hit an iceberg</del>{{nbsp}}...}}
:Comment: So a bad day all around then.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=905130464 Myra (painting)]'':
::{{tq|After witnessing the first attack, [[Jacques Rolé]] left the exhibition to buy <del>six</del> eggs <s>from [[Fortnum & Mason]], on the other side of [[Piccadilly]] close to the Royal Academy</s>, and threw three or four at the painting before being stopped.}}
:Comment: Only the best eggs are thrown at the Royal Academy.


;In the article ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/?diff=1030359581 John McAfee]'':
::{{tq|On 30 April 2012, McAfee's property in Orange Walk Town, Belize, was raided by the Gang Suppression Unit of the Belize Police Department <del>while he was in bed with a girlfriend</del>.}}
:Comment: How very ungentlemanly. They should have waited until he was on the crapper.


{{shortcut|WP:TEMPLEOFFACTS}}
{{anchor|Temple of Facts}}'''Michael Kinsley's [https://newrepublic.com/article/79680/department-amplification "Department of Amplification: William Shawn and the temple of facts"]''' (''The New Republic'', 1984{{snd}}and well worth a read in full) is a pitch-perfect sendup of ''The New Yorker'' as "a weekly monument to the proposition that journalism consists of the endless accretion of tiny details":

:{{tq|The June 18 ''New Yorker'' has an article about corn. It's the first in what appears to be a series, no less, discussing the major grains. What about corn? Who knows? Only ''The New Yorker'' would have the lofty disdain for its readers to expect them to plow through 22,000 words about corn (warning: only an estimate; the TNR fact checkers are still counting) without giving them the slightest hint why. Here is how it starts (after a short introductory poem):}}
{{quote|{{tq|When the New England farmer and botanist Edward Sturtevant retired, in 1887, as head of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station, in Geneva, he left behind a bulky manuscript that was published in 1919, twenty-one years after his death, as "Sturtevant's Notes on Edible Plants." Dr. Sturtevant, who was also a graduate of the Harvard Medical School, but never practiced medicine, had scoured the world's botanical literature for mentions of all the plants that human beings were known to have eaten (he did not count tree bark, which in times of famine was often one of them), and had come up with among more than three hundred thousand known plant species, two thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven edibles. (Latter-day scientists believe he may have missed as many more.) But, of all these, only a hundred and fifty or so have ever been widely enough consumed to figure in commerce, and of those a mere handful have been of any real consequence.}} }}
:{{tq|Now, ''there'' are some facts for you. No doubt every single one of them has been checked. You stand in awe as they tumble toward you, magnificently irrelevant, surrounded by mighty commas, mere numbers swollen into giant phrases ("two thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven"), all finally crashing over you with the bravura announcement that nothing you have just read is "of any real consequence." How true this is! From the end of the paragraph, you gaze back on the receding vistas of inconsequence, as far as the eye can see. Even supposing we would like a bit more information about corn, and even supposing we might be relieved to know how many other plants, edible and otherwise, are ''not'' going to be discussed in this article, why are we being told about a man whose count apparently was off by half? Even supposing we need to know about Dr. Sturtevant’s book, when it was published, and when the good doctor died, why do we need to know when he retired? Even—stretching it—supposing that we need to know that this gentleman "was also a graduate of the Harvard Medical School," why, oh why, do we have to learn that he "never practiced medicine"? As for the business about tree bark, that has just got to be conscious self-parody.}}

Remind you of any Wikipedia articles?

==Futher reading==
*''[[Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage]]'' (The Gowers 1965 edition is best.){{refn|In the humble opinion of [[User:EEng#s|<b style="color: red;">E</b>]][[User talk:EEng#s|<b style="color: blue;">Eng</b>]].}}
*''[[The Complete Plain Words]] ''(Gowers again)
<noinclude>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[Wikipedia:Queen Elizabeth slipped majestically into the water]]
*[[Wikipedia:Lies Miss Snodgrass Told You]]
*[[Wikipedia:Mandy Rice-Davies Applies]]

[[Category:Wikipedia culture]]
[[Category:Wikipedia essays about style]]
</noinclude>