Let's talk about "talk about"

"Talk about rebounding" would have been equally effective.

 

I once had a freelancer who did that. He was about 80 when we started our paper up and had been covering local sports for years. One night a football coach pulled me aside and mentioned the old guy would ask a long, rambling question, get a 'yes' answer and boom, instant quote. I'm sure he pulled that trick for many years.

 

So what's your opinion on the ethics of using this quote?

Personally, I say you can't use it in quotations. However, paraphrasing it as an indirect quote is fair game.

 

More so probably. You'd sound like a TV reporter, rather than an ignorant jerk.

 

That's 100 percent a paraphrasing situation.

 

So are we done talking about "talk about" ?

 

I threw up in my mouth when I learned my freelancer was passing off his rambling questions as quotes. Absolutely a paraphrase situation.

 

Yeah, it's pretty bad. But, honestly, nothing surprises me anymore, not even the editors that let this kind of shit slide.

 

At the televised newser after tonight's Warriors loss to the T'wolves, a reporter started his question "Talk about ...:" and went into a long description of a rotation situation.

When he finally finishes, Kerr looks up and says "What do you want me to say about it?" Of course I thought of this place.

 

Watched a ton of Bryson DeChambeau's presser at the Masters yesterday, and you know what I didn't hear? A single "talk-about question." Refreshing.

 

Heard a new one tonight.

"Can you talk about......."

At least he asked rather than commanded lol.