“soup that eats like a meal”
i was going to write a long (and rather pedantic) post about how campbell’s chunky soup is ruining not only my appetite for stew but also the english language (ie. one of the qualities of soup IS NOT its ability to eat (nor is this a quality that a meal possesses)).
this language log article however has far out-pedanticked me and it’s also a major buzkill because it defends the usage. it turns out that the slogan is not only a brilliant use of anthimeria but also a rare english instance of mediopassive voice (and/or middle construction). whatever. here are some other examples:
- the meat cuts easily
- enron’s ethics code reads like fiction
- “faken” cooks like real bacon
- the auditorium seats 100 people
UPDATE: a funny take on the slogan from the san francisco chronicle.
