Apostrophe crimes
The Apprentice is over, long live the queen (Lee Mc that is). Of course he won because, despite lying about his university credentials on his CV and misspelling ‘tomorrow’, he reminded Sir Alan of himself, and who better to promote than someone in Sir Alan’s own image?
Sorry, Lee didn’t ‘lie’ but said he ‘misconstrued information’which is, in itself, a good example of misconstruing information or, indeed, lying … about lying …
The Apprentice provided good fodder for blogging about grammar so more’s the pity it has gone. But there are plenty of other apostrophe crimes out there like a festering spots just itching to be squeezed.
One excellent example was spotted by Michael Scott in April 2008. Michael noticed Tesco was selling packs of ‘Children Hangers’. Interesting concept that could, finally, provide the answer to messy kids. They could dangle like diminutive vampires in a darkened closet making no mess or noise … just waiting for you to open the closet and release them for school the next day. Where they wouldn’t learn any grammar anyway.
This proliferation of incorrect grammar must stem from schools because that’s where most of us picked up such education. The current generation of text-speaking kids, where minimalisation is all, really should wake up to the horrific potential of the missing apostrophe … take Children Hangers.
Filed under: Media, public relations
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For proof of the principle you just stated (now I’m getting edgy about where the comma goes), one need look no further than that wonderful book by Lynne Truss, “Eats, Shoots and Leaves.” The gun totin’ panda on the cover tells the tale.
And yet, I think spelling errors still offer the greatest opportunity for entertainment.
Years ago I was working for my tiny, home-town newspaper, The Winter Haven Daily News-Chief. Somebody noted an obvious typographical error in an advert. It was an announcement for the grand opening of a “BEAUTY SALOON.” The extra “O” profoundly changed the meaning.
Thereupon followed a lively discussion of just what a “beauty saloon” would be.
The newsroom was pretty much paralyzed until a consensus was reached.
A “beauty saloon” would be a place where you go to drink until you feel beautiful.
It happens to all of us. I once published a story in an IABC membership newsletter about ‘pubic relations’. Never underestimate the importance of having your copy proofead by someone else.
It does happen to anyone and your “public” misspelling may become a habit. For instance, I see myself as able to string a sentence and check it, but I will repeatedly replace “not” with “now” and vice-versa. Not so bad, but when you consider it copletely changes the sentence from “The web sites will now be available to mobile phone users”, to “The web sites will not be available to mobile users”, it is very annoying - especially when I DO proofread these things. I hate doing emails to “all” at the office for this reason!
I’ve done the not/now thing myself. Like I say, it pays to get fresh eyes to proof your copy.