Thursday, 25 September 2008
I do exclaim!
The overuse and misuse of exclamation marks has been previously discussed with enthusiasm and significant literary skill by Dan.
When I saw this slice of crazy in our flickr group I just had to share it.
P.S. I know it's incorrect to use 'crazy' as a noun. I just like the phrase "slice of crazy", OK?
Labels: exclamation marks, photos, punctuation
posted by Gez at 5:25 pm
5 Comments
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
Graffitti
"Graffiti", originally uploaded by Trevor Coultart.
As well as the poor spelling, this gets extra hate marks for the rainbow-striped lettering – a sure sign of a psychopath.
It's an interesting word, graffiti. It's the plural form of graffito (rarely used in english) and Italian in origin, as you would probably guess. It derives from the Italian word graffiato meaning scratched.
It originally referred to inscriptions or carvings that were scratched onto walls, statues and tombs.
Anyway, it's spelled with two Fs and one T, capisce?
posted by Gez at 6:17 pm
2 Comments
Sunday, 31 August 2008
Goodnight lady's
When I see children's clothing adorned with phrases from the world of adults, I always feel slightly sick. Especially when the spelling and grammar are bad.
But I'm in two minds about this one. Is it a patronising, faintly tasteless and semi-literate statement describing the young chap's future predilection for womanising? Or is the grammar entirely deliberate: a clever subversion of the chauvinist cliché, affirming the boy's love for his mother and hinting at a future of monogamy, maturity and commitment? Have I been reading The Guardian a bit too much recently?
Thanks to Melissa Jaeger-Miller, who sent us this gem.
Labels: apostrophe abuse, babywear, photos, punctuation
posted by Tom at 1:54 pm
7 Comments
Monday, 11 August 2008
Organic food in a hurry
This mistake is worryingly common and makes me chuckle every time I see it.
This is also one of those errors that I have to verbally correct when I hear spoken. I can often be seen in the queue at Starbucks obnoxiously hissing at some poor soul, "Esssssssspresso!".
I can't help it; it's a compulsion.
Labels: foreign language spelling errors, photos, signage, spelling
posted by Gez at 6:24 pm
3 Comments
Tuesday, 15 April 2008
It gets you wasted. Literally.
Why don't people realise that one can't simply throw words together at random and hope that the meaning of the resulting phrase is as intended?
Seriously, if you are smoking AIDS, stop it right now. Syphilis is much better.
The interesting thing about this is it's not technically incorrect but the connotations of the ambiguity certainly demand a rewrite.
Found via Digg.
posted by Gez at 10:44 am
4 Comments
Wednesday, 19 March 2008
New's Paper's
This is just great.
I'm not suggesting that this mail box should be targeted by local youths for firework and/or urine attacks; I'm just saying I couldn't condemn them for doing so.
This photo was shamelessly "borrowed" from Apostrophe Abuse.
Related post: New's Agent
Labels: apostrophe abuse, photos
posted by Gez at 3:05 pm
1 Comments
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
If you're having grammar problems I feel bad for you, son
This is slapdashery beyond anything I have seen before. There are no unnecessary apostrophes at least.
17 typos and an apostrophe ain't one. Watch out Jay-Z; MC Grammar is all up in your flow.
Can you spot all seventeen errors? Answers available by clicking through to the photo page.
Labels: capitalisation, photos, spellchecker, spelling
posted by Gez at 5:44 pm
1 Comments
Monday, 25 February 2008
Howay the lasse's
Following on from Tom's Newcastle-themed post, I thought I'd share this photo. It was recently added to our new Flickr group and according to its tag was taken here.
I live in Manchester now but sights like this remind me what I left behind when I moved away from the jewel of the North-East.
Labels: apostrophe abuse, newcastle, photos
posted by Gez at 6:17 pm
3 Comments
Friday, 22 February 2008
Egregious Signage
Old GrammarBlog friend Ade wasn't taking any chances that we might miss this picture.
Opting for the belt and braces approach, he emailed and twittered to let us know what he witnessed outside his house.Good work, Ade.
Labels: apostrophe abuse, photos, twitter
posted by Gez at 5:15 pm
4 Comments
Wet your appetite
I can't decide if this is a typo or a malapropism. Either way it's a shocker.
The correct word is of course 'whet'.
Labels: marketing copy, photos, spelling, typo, wrong word
posted by Gez at 1:22 pm
5 Comments
Wednesday, 20 February 2008
Fancy a couple of half's?
I have nothing more to say about this.
Labels: apostrophe abuse, photos
posted by Gez at 6:29 pm
2 Comments
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Anarky For Ever
The best graffiti ever?
Found on a Russian photo blog (warning: occasional arty nudity).
posted by Gez at 1:58 am
3 Comments
Monday, 10 December 2007
Under Neat that
This is a couple of months old now. I had intended to post this in October but... well I just forgot.
The background story is as follows. A man orders a cake for his departing colleague. Over the phone he requests that the message should read: "Best Wishes Suzanne" and underneath that, "We will miss you". The cake shop proprietor not only included the instruction but misspelt it.
On the bright side, that's a bit of extra icing for free.
Credit to Sharon – or more specifically her facebook group.
posted by Gez at 5:58 pm
7 Comments
Friday, 7 December 2007
I'll have a 'P' please, Bob
From passive aggressive notes (again).
Wrongly placed comma, bad verb choice and a fantastic example of choosing the wrong word at the wrong time.
P.S. Yes, I know that last sentence is fragmented. I'm not sorry.
Labels: commas, photos, verb choice, wrong word
posted by Gez at 8:49 am
3 Comments
Thursday, 6 December 2007
Grammar Abuse in Signage - Parts 12 and 13
If you shop at Tesco you earn Clubcard vouchers. Vouchers equate to prizes in Tescoland. Yes they do.
You can exchange your vouchers for Hilton vouchers, to a princely ratio of 1:4 (£50 of Tesco vouchers becoming £200 of Hilton vouchers). The genius of my wife led her to suggest a break in Edinburgh at the Caledonian Hilton hotel; a 5-star hotel, no less. Good work.
Imagine, if you will, discovering that the 5-star rating doesn't cover basic language skills:
Two notices; multiple errors: inexcusable.
Labels: photos, randomised caps, signage, tesco
posted by Paul at 12:56 pm
3 Comments
Ski's, boots and goggles
Ade is the name of the loyal grammar soldier who submitted this picture of a renegade apostrophe.
Ade writes:
I spotted thi's s'hocker the other day while I wa's on the tube:
Take a closer look at that second line of copy. Why is there no capital letter at the start of the sentence? They must have filled their capital quota with "Travel Insurance".
Labels: apostrophe abuse, marketing copy, photos
posted by Gez at 12:24 am
2 Comments
Friday, 30 November 2007
The Grerat Typo Inciden
I took this ages ago then forgot about it until I was clearing the photos out of my phone. I like the double typo and the sound of the word "grerater".
Labels: newspapers, photos, spelling, typo
posted by Gez at 5:08 pm
69 Comments
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
For God's sake, wash it!
Dirty Dicks in this photo; a glazed ass in the last Who says GrammarBlog is puerile?
If you feel your manhood is sufficiently grubby and you would like to visit this not so exclusive members club, here is a map to its location.
View Larger Map
Labels: apostrophe abuse, photos, signage
posted by Gez at 7:29 pm
2 Comments
Sunday, 18 November 2007
Scotch Gents This Way
Ignoring the apostrophe abuse, left is the new down in Edinburgh.
Labels: apostrophe abuse, photos
posted by Tom at 5:18 pm
5 Comments
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Had a leek
This photo was taken by me in the very office I work in. I hope whoever wrote this note won't take offence at my posting of it.
Had a leek that won't flush? That's one hell of a leek!
Labels: photos, spelling, wrong word
posted by Gez at 10:27 am
6 Comments
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