What was the criterion?

Yahoo! must have criteria it uses when hiring writers and editors. It’s not an ability to spell, use correct grammar, accurately synthesize a news event, or punctuate a sentence. Another criterion that Yahoo! doesn’t use? The ability to select the correct word when writing for the Yahoo! front page:

The American Heritage Dictionary (which you’ll find on Yahoo!, but Yahoo! writers haven’t yet discovered) says:

Like the analogous etymological plurals agenda and data, criteria is widely used as a singular form. Unlike them, however, it is not yet acceptable in that use.

What’s the past tense of bonafy?

Bonafied! That’s the bona fide answer you’d get from the Yahoo! Shine senior editor responsible for this:

Rule of thumb

Here’s a rule of thumb for writrs: Whatever the writer for Yahoo! Sports‘ “Prep Rally” does, do the opposite:

Don’t use an unnecessary word like general to modify rule of thumb; it is by definition a general principle. And don’t use multiple pronouns to refer to the same person. I was so confused by that sentence that I thought the opposing coach charged and attacked (which seem to be the same thing) youths.

Dog i a hot car

Typos, awkward wording, missing words, and too many words are common in articles by the writers over at Yahoo! Shine:

And sometimes the result can be unintentional hilarity:

I’m still trying to figure this out. My best guess is that the writer meant “to whom,” which is awkward at best:

There are too many words or too few words here, but either way, the sentence is really awkward: