Yes yes, I’ve been on vacation, which is why there were no posts this week, and which resulted in the gazillions of emails I’ve received from my loyal readers asking if I was alive. *coughcough*
ANYWAY… I have some good stuff lined up for next week. But for today I’m going to steal this from FAILblog, because it clearly belongs here.
An honorary RPB member if I’ve ever seen one… even if s/he did miss the apostrophe issue with “kids software.”
I am all about living languages and words changing meanings and suchnot. I just feel that there’s a material difference between the natural evolution of vocabulary as fashion and new invention dictate and the evolution of language because people’s ignorance leads them to make a mistake over and over.
For example! I am starting to suspect that using an apostrophe-s to pluralize days of the week is rapidly becoming acceptable. I think this comes from the (debatable) utility of apostrophe-s to pluralize things like “CD” and “DVD.” But I don’t really understand the logic, because I’m pretty sure the culprits wouldn’t argue that the plural of “day” is “day’s.”
Or maybe they would.
Anyway, Reporter #1 found this gem, which just makes me sad.
Of course, we also have here a lovely “Kid’s Menu,” which I imagine is only available to the first child into the restaurant at any given time. And that’s just wrong, ladies and gentlemen. So I can take refuge in that, at least.
John says:
Sorry for the pun (in the subject), but I couldn’t help it.
I’m not quite sure what to make of this one. They were trying to be creative, but it didn’t really work.
Indeed it didn’t, John, indeed it didn’t.
I don’t like to gank stuff from other blogs, but this one deserves to be posted twice. Like the folks over at The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks, I’m really most delighted by the Red Pen conversation going on in the margins. This anonymous kindred soul gets the Red Pen Award!
Thanks to Shannon for this most excellent link. He says:
There’s nothing wrong with the link, but it does contain rare apostrophe-pedantry from one Cory Doctorow.
Found this one in a parking lot and had to grab it. Reporter #1’s witty reaction was that it made her ask “What Would Jesus’s English Teacher Do?”
Religious organizations may be exempt from taxes, but they are not exempt from the Red Pen.
Again, let’s pause and consider that these words were etched into a sign. A sign for which somebody (presumably) paid. Of course, it does make a kind of sense that only “personal” people would be allowed into a growing house…
Thanks again (always!), Reporter #1.
Guess where Meg found this sign?
At the New York Public Library, of course. 🙂
Rock on, Meg!
I mean, I can’t even think of a witty way to mock this. Neither could Reporter #1. It’s just… what are they thinking?
Okay, so looking at this picture is a little painful. But give it a shot. Mysteries lie within.
I’m pretty sure I’ve written before about the Southernism that is “can [product which is in a can].” While it isn’t my preference, I’m not necessarily going to Red Pen it unless I’m in a really bad mood. But here we have three different items (in case you can’t read them, they’re “canned meats,” “can soups,” and “canned fruits”). What is up with that?