Goofs and Screw-ups
Killer Tomatoes
My partner grafts tomatoes for our garden. Must caution against this!Source: The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Knoxville, Tennessee) 31 Oct 1963, Thu Page 14
Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 16, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Family, Food, Psychedelic, 1960s, Goofs and Screw-ups
Banvard’s Folly
I am halfway thru reading this book and can testify to its greatness, and to its allure for all WU-vies. I have already learned about so many hoaxes, weirdos and charlatans I never knew about before.Here's how the book opens:
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jul 01, 2021 -
Comments (8)
Category: Frauds, Cons and Scams, History, Historical Figure, Hoaxes and Imposters and Imitators, Inventions, New Age, Supernatural, Occult, Paranormal, Books, Goofs and Screw-ups
The Error in The Ambassadors
The first American edition of Henry James's novel The Ambassadors was published in 1903. But it took 47 years before anyone noticed that there seemed to be a glaring error in it, and the person who noticed was a Stanford undergrad, Robert E. Young. As told by Frances Wilson in the Times Literary Supplement:this reversal of chapters was missed by James, not once but twice. He missed it when he checked the proofs of the novel set by Harper and he missed it again in 1908, during his scrupulous revision of The Ambassadors for Scribner’s New York Edition of his work.
The chapters had actually been printed in the correct order in a British edition, published before the American one. But every subsequent American (and British) edition had used the incorrect order, until Young pointed out the mistake.
Young blamed James's writing style for the error. He concluded his 1950 article in the journal American Literature (in which he exposed the error) with this paragraph:
Naturally, this charge riled James's fans, some of whom sought to defend him. Most notably, in 1992 scholar Jerome McGann argued that James might have intended for the chapters to be in that order. From Wikipedia:
It doesn't seem that many people buy McGann's argument, so the consensus remains that the chapters were out of order and James never noticed.
Posted By: Alex - Mon Mar 22, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Literature, Goofs and Screw-ups
Merry Christmas 2020!
Otherwise known as "Santa Claus's Mistake."
Posted By: Paul - Fri Dec 25, 2020 -
Comments (8)
Category: Holidays, Toys, Gender, Goofs and Screw-ups
Follies of the Madmen #485
No infants were harmed in the making of this ad. Oh, wait a minute, they're not breathing...
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Aug 08, 2020 -
Comments (1)
Category: Babies, Business, Advertising, Death, 1950s, Goofs and Screw-ups
Cabin Pressure
Cabin Pressure from Matthew Lee on Vimeo.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Apr 20, 2019 -
Comments (1)
Category: Antisocial Activities, Bad Habits, Neuroses and Psychoses, Death, Elderly and Seniors, Experts and Authority Figures, Regulations, Stop-motion Animation, Air Travel and Airlines, Alcohol, Goofs and Screw-ups
When Havoc Struck
It's never news or entertainment when something goes right, only when it goes wrong. The 1978 TV series WHEN HAVOC STRUCK knew what people wanted. Glenn Ford must've needed a paycheck.
Other episodes on YouTube.
Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 30, 2017 -
Comments (0)
Category: Accidents, Goofs and Screw-ups, Death, Destruction, Engineering and Construction, 1970s
They Died Laughing
[Click to enlarge]
Original article here.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Dec 22, 2016 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Hospitals, 1970s, Goofs and Screw-ups
Lets Go To The Video
If, as a family, you are going to plot a murder and make it look like self defense on your own property then perhaps you should turn off your surveillance camera. Father, son and daughter caught themselves setting up the daughter's boyfriend's murder and let the police get the video as well because Florida.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Apr 07, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Stupid Criminals, Goofs and Screw-ups
Forgot to Chew Off The Tat Too
Kirk Kelly was picked up in a traffic stop in Tallmadge, Ohio. To avoid having his true identity revealed he lied about his name and then sat in the back of a cruiser and chewed off his fingerprints. The police subsequently identified him by a tattoo. I have to specify, although Kirk was picked up in Ohio, he was originally from Florida- the WTF state.
Posted By: Alex - Sun Mar 06, 2016 -
Comments (3)
Category: Stupid Criminals, Tattoos, Goofs and Screw-ups
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |