Momnesia

Associated Press, You're KILLING Me Today!

Head: Obama picks Sotomayor for Supreme Court
Subhead: She's a self-described 'Newyorkrican' who grew up in a housing project

For Jeebus sake! I'm not Latino OR a New Yorker, and when I saw this headline I almost banged my forehead against the screen in frustration. The term you're looking for, Oh Intern Who Seems to Have Taken Over Subhead Writing for the AP, is "Nuyorican," a kind of compound word that you find in Latino communities, like "holope" for "hold up/robbery." Copy editors: it is not enough to know a lot of vocabulary and grammar. You must also have social and cultural knowledge in order to place these words in context.