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… Continue reading Ambiguous Germs
Category: Poor Editing
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… Continue reading Roll Over, Reed and Kellogg
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… Continue reading Can You Fanta? A Lesson on Less vs. Fewer
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… Continue reading A Selfish Farmer
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… Continue reading Walking Parallel through the Park
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… Continue reading Capital Punishment
Sugar and Splice
IHOP, IHOP, IHOP. I expected more from you since you're a huge chain and all; I really did. This is a problem -- a big problem. Here we have . . . (drumroll) . . . a comma splice (gasp!). It makes me sad when people try to give the job of a period (or… Continue reading Sugar and Splice
Apostrophes Not Fit for Plurals
I know "CD GOODIE BOX" AND "$9.99!!" are the most important messages on this sign, but that's no reason to include errors in the small print. Again, I was at Tradesmart, and again, I found an error in its advertising strategies. This particular error happens frequently: using an apostrophe to form a plural. In this… Continue reading Apostrophes Not Fit for Plurals
My Female Doctor in “His” Room
This is the second of three errors I found while waiting for my doctor, who, as I mentioned in my earlier post (click here for a reminder), was female. So you can see why I couldn't help snapping a picture of this sexist note. "Please ask your doctor while he is in the room." I… Continue reading My Female Doctor in “His” Room
Apostrophe Slip-Up
I found this while on tour at the Coors factory. What is particularly interesting about this problem is that the sign contains something that isn't even a word. Mens does not exist in the English language. Men is the plural for man, so if one is trying to make men plural by adding an s,… Continue reading Apostrophe Slip-Up