Rob Kyff of the Hartford Courant notices an error often committed by his colleagues:
Can someone please tell me why so many writers are confusing the words "ancestor" and "descendant"?
A recent newspaper caption under a color photo of a mother and son read, "Karen Duplessis and her son, Patrick, are Patrick Henry's ancestors." Now if this stylish mom and curly haired kid in a red polo shirt are ancestors of Patrick Henry, I know a lot less about pre-1700 fashion and the history of photography than I thought I did. [Link]
Actually I'm always impressed when someone says they are the descendant of someone who didn't have children.
J
It's especially impressive when the supposed ancestor died in infancy.