Ambiguous Germs

More than one error lingers in this display of public error; however, I feel that focusing on just one would be most beneficial for this post. In this hand-washing reminder I found in a bathroom, we have a case of ambiguous word usage, and the culprit lies with the phrase 'are annoying travelers.' If we…

So You Think You Can Punctuate

Hello, dear readers! While I've taken some time off from writing, I have continued to actively search for public errors. I've acquired a plethora of photos, and I'm glad to be back. My hope is to post weekly (ish) and get back on track with consistent writing. After all, the world needs educated about all these errors!…

Roll Over, Reed and Kellogg

Hello to you! I hope this blog entry finds you well. As it turns out, I did not, in fact, fall off the face of the planet. I know I have been shirking my blogging duties lately, and for that I apologize. However, in my defense, the events in my life got excitingly erratic. Since…

Drive Safe (ly)

I was leaving the Ralph Schomp Honda dealership and came across this error. It's rather simple, really. The sign that says "PLEASE DRIVE SAFE" assaulted my grammatical senses because of an adjective/adverb mishap. Safe is technically explaining how people should be driving, and, if you remember my lesson about determining whether you have an adverb…

Can You Fanta? A Lesson on Less vs. Fewer

Yay! I have the opportunity to discuss count vs. non-count nouns and the rules that accompany them. Consider today your lucky day. This mistake was on one of those new fancy pop machines in Noodles & Company. Pay special attention to the white bubble on the far right that advertises "15 calories or less." It…

American Furniture Error-House

I've been looking for this particular error, and I was ever-so pleased when I came across this one at American Furniture Warehouse. The culprit here is everyday. In this case the word everyday is serving as an adverb. How, you might ask, would I know that? Well, you see, adverbs answer certain questions like when,…

A Selfish Farmer

This elevator can be found in the bustling metropolis of Roggen, right along Interstate 76. At first, a passerby might not even notice the teeny, tiny apostrophe placed ever-so gently between the r and the s in farmers. But I assure you; it is there. And it is wrong. I happen to know that Roggen…

Appositive Message about Commas

I was waiting patiently in line to turn in my papers for a passport when I spotted this error. At first, I thought, "Aww, how nice! The Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder is welcoming its newest member, Nancy A. Doty!" At least that's how this would be interpreted if someone with a particularly astute eye…

Walking Parallel through the Park

Ahh. Here we have a lovely, healthful box of Nature Valley Trail Mix granola bars. Even thinking about eating them brings me joy -- until I turn the box and find this: There's a bit of glare here, but you can still make it out. The first sentence reads, "Maybe it's when you're walking through…

Capital Punishment

I found the same error on two posters. The first mistake was the final mistake I found while waiting for my doctor. (Note -- I waited for about 15 minutes and found three errors in plain view. That's quite sad.) The second mistake was on a Colorado Education Association poster -- also not a good…