So it doesn't have much to do with language use and even less to do with journalism, but I think it is quite striking as a sign of the times. For anyone who can't see, the photo is of a pack of children's water pistols (is there any other kind?) with a warning underneath reading: "It is an offence to sell imitation firearms to anyone under the age of 18."
I took this photo in a London branch of Woolworths. Incidentally, I ended up buying some water pistols from this very shop (although not the ones pictured) and it took me a good 15 minutes to extricate them from the packaging, even with a knife and pair of kitchen scissors. I suppose the excessive packaging could be to prevent anyone ripping the "imitation firearms" out of the box in the shop and running amok with them.
Haven't really got time to check, but should 'water pistols' be hyphenated? Or one word, perhaps?
