in driving to work this week, i came across a highways agency sign that talked about upcoming road works. the sign, professionally printed and at least four or five feet across, and probably viewed by thousands of people a day, said that the construction would be completed "autum 2007."
this reminded me of the many other examples of visible spelling and grammatical errors i have witnessed in the past few months. one that particularly bothered me recently: when madeline and i were shopping the week before valentine's day, i picked up a stuffed teddy bear to entertain her briefly when we were in a garden centre. i threw it down in disgust when i noticed that stitched onto the tummy was "your my valentine."
similarly, throughout the summer, i shook my head in frustration each time i walked past a sign along our towpath that said: "keep of the grass."
and the cafe in the park next door to our house had an "ice cream palour" for many months before it became a parlour.
i truly wish people would proofread signs, menus, posters, billboards, stuffed bears and anything else they are going to put in front the public before having them professionally printed.
Good thing you aren't in China - poor spelling and grammar are everywhere. It is soooo annoying.
Posted by: Kim | March 15, 2007 at 11:57 PM
That must be a family trait. I am always catching those errors and pointing them out. They drive me CRAZY!
Posted by: Andrea | March 16, 2007 at 12:23 PM
I need some sort of magic eraser to remove misused apostrophes - those are the ones that drive me crazy. For example the signs in the grocery store that say "Banana's - 3/$1.00".
Posted by: Michelle | March 16, 2007 at 06:09 PM