Whenever I see the term "troops" in a news headline (for example: "25 troops killed in Iraq today") it makes me think of 25 GROUPS of soldiers. Then, when I read the whole story, I learn it is actually 25 INDIVIDUAL soldiers. Still a terrible loss, but not the massacre I was envisioning when I first read the headline.
I always thought "troop" meant more than one, like a boy scout troop, which is a group of boy scouts. And now I'm wondering if the media purposefully words headlines in this way to make the war seem even worse than it already it, or to snag more readers.
Anyone else think the term is misleading when used in this way? Or am I perhaps unaware of an alternative meaning for the word? Thanks for your input!
2007-01-21
08:22:00
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6 answers
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asked by
Anonymous