It was the same kind of mistake I had seen in Cumberland on one of those signs where you place letters to create the message. The message read:
MASSAGE THE RAPIST
Most people don't much care when they see these travesties, and they certainly don't bring it to anyone's attention. I stopped at the clinic and suggested they change the spacing. They looked at me as if I were crazy, and it was weeks before the sign was changed.
I used to think that the work that would occupy me in my retirement would be policing the language. I would tidy up offending menus, billboards and other public notices. I practised occasionally on hastily written notices taped to door windows by taking my red pencil and inserting a discreetly small ‘sp' beside misspellings. The closer I got to retirement, however, the more I understood that the task was far too big for one woman, and I also realized that my help would not always be welcome.
I went into a store selling mattresses. On every bed was placed a beautifully scripted sign reading, "Please don't lay on the mattresses with your shoes on." There were twenty-eight hand lettered signs. How could I possibly tell them?
And, you know, half the people reading this post probably can't even see the error, because the language has been changed by misuse of the verb "to lie". Almost everyone substitutes lay for lie. Even teachers and radio announcers, once the guardians of the language, make the error now.
Confusion between lay and lie and even misuse of the apostrophe are errors I can live with, but I really do think those who use language to advertise themselves or their services should be careful what they write.
12 comments:
Ummm...shouldn't it be 'menus' rather than 'menues'? ;)
I can't help it: I think you spelled 'misspellings' wrong. LMAO. (I agree with you in principle, by the way.)
I didn't misspell misspellings ... just checked the Oxford ... but you might be right about menus ... I will check it as well.
I do care, by the way ... and am glad you pointed these out.
What does LMAO mean?
"a discreetly small ‘sp' beside mispellings"
(You spelled it right in the comments, but not in the body of the post.)
LOL: Laughing out loud
LMAO: Laughing my ass off.
ROTFLMAO: Rolling on the floor laughing my ass off.
I will fix both ... just checked menus ... the misspelling was a typo I guess ... thanks.
You and Maurice can have red felt tip canes in old age.
We can consider this my revenge for the time you grounded me for misspelling beige. (I waited 36 years for this moment.)
(But if it makes you feel any better, I didn't get the lay/lie error.)
*snicker*
Mum you really need to do a search for Mike Reed's Flame Warriors
"The Grammarian usually has little to contribute to a discussion and possesses few effective weapons. To compensate, he will point out minor errors in spelling and grammar. Because of Grammarian's obvious weakness most Warriors ignore him."
Its one of my favorites in the series - probably because preinternet, you mailed my "running away from home" letter back to me covered in red ink pointing out my spelling and grammatical errors.
Susan: Re: "We can consider this my revenge for the time you grounded me for misspelling beige. (I waited 36 years for this moment.)" ... but look what a good speller you are today ... and you probably never misspelled beige again!
Kerry: Re: "*snicker*
Mum you really need to do a search for Mike Reed's Flame Warriors etc."
I haven't used my red pencil in years and years ... it was Susan's red pencil this time, not mine!
I see lots of typos on both your sites (more on Kerry's because of the one handed typing while breast feeding) but I remain politely silent!
Anyway ... I am glad you can both spell.
And it seems that my errors have garnered more comments than ANY other post including Pretty Woman!
Well, see, that's the nature of the internet. It tolerates spelling and grammar mistakes except from self-appointed spelling and grammar cops!
(I'm glad I can spell too, but I don't think it's because I got grounded for misspelling beige. I think I was just born with the good spelling gene that runs through our family.)
It is a learning style thing. If you are a visual learner you are more likely to be a good speller because you can remember what a word looks like.
I am afraid I am losing all kinds of memory these days ... including that one.
I thought menues didn't look right but menus seemed odd too ... should have checked with the spell checker, I guess.
Gus always put an e on the end of every word.
"Deare Susane, Ie wille comee bye aftere worke fore coffeee."
I felt so sorry for him that he couldn't spell, and he felt sorry for me because I couldn't drive.
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