The Usual Suspects

Let's get this party started, shall we?

Like all usual suspects, this one turned up in a bar, leaving only this hazy photo as proof. Isn't that always the way?

Photo by SC

SC indicated that the "Gent's" sign was just as troubling. Why is it so difficult for some people to accept that a word can just be plural? It doesn't require accessories.

I know this is acceptable in some circles, but I don't like it.

Photo by SH

It's just off-putting. It makes me want to ask "for your SUV's WHAT?" What do you think?

I know I bag on local news a lot around here, but honestly, how can I not? This is the local news equivalent of the floral sack dress. They have officially given up.

Photo by AD

Your story lacks punch when the audience is snickering at your inability to spell. Meanwhile, just one minute earlier, on a different day, on THE SAME CHANNEL:

Photo by AD

When I graduated from college, I lived at home for about a year trying to get a job at a local Florida station, and no one would hire me. I'd like to think they're kicking themselves right now. They're probably not, but y'know. It makes me feel better about myself.

This is probably more of a judgment call, but really, if we're not here to judge, then what are we doing?

Photo by MLW

Stash? What are they doing? Stashing something somewhere? Keeping a stash of something? NO. They're abbreviating mustache. Which makes me (and photographer MLW) think they can probably just stick with the word's actual spelling, and go with stache. What do you think?

MLW sent me another photo, and in it, she may have discovered the earth's most challenging word. Now that she has Basset Hounds, she has discovered no one can EVER spell Basset correctly. This was spotted in the Skymall catalog:

Photo by MLW

Adorable dog. Very strange chair protector thing. Almost unforgivable misspelling in a published magazine that everyone on a plane will read, because what else are you supposed to do? Talk to your neighbor? Please. No one wants that.

My friend MAB spotted this sign that I'm guessing is pre-printed, though it seems an easy fix, given today's easy computering. There's no real need to pre -print signs anymore.

Photo by MAB

As Seen IN? Preposition Fail. But what I really need to know is if anyone's tried this beverage, and if I need to. Is it any good? I am, after all, a lover of chocolate! And a hater of incorrect prepositions.

And a couple of food fails to round out this post. First up, a sign that comes SO CLOSE.

Photo by KM

This signmaker obviously doesn't believe in doubling consonants, even when you're supposed to. Nope! Not gonna do it. And so we get zuchini instead of zucchini and batered instead of battered. Letters are expensive! And to this person, perhaps redundant.

And finally, I do love Fridays. All kinds of Fridays. Even potentially euphemistic Fridays.

Photo by CW 

If you guess what he means by "Friday," you get quadruple sides!

Thanks, all! Keep 'em coming!

It's back!

Sure, the post schedule has slowed down, but the menu/food-related errors sure haven’t. 

From regular submitter AS comes this menu from a coffee meeting of hers. Have a look at the soups of the day. I would prefer that my potato not leak out of my soup, wouldn’t you? 

Photo by AS

Not to mention the Cesar salad up there. Maybe it’s a salad made by Cesar? Eh, maybe not. 

MAB took this at one of my favorite salad spots. I spotted a spelling error at the same restaurant the same day, but didn’t have a chance to snap a pic. Fortunately, MAB was more on top of things than I was. 

Photo by MAB

Here in LA, whenever they misspell a protein name, I worry that it’s actually substitute meat, but I don’t think that’s what they mean here. Surely, they’d have gone with “chickn” instead of “proten.” PROTEIN, people. It’s what’s for lunch. 

There are a LOT of problems here, but I guess I can grant points for consistency? 

Photo by CP

I would guess these are drinks from the Fringe alt-verse, but that was spelled wrong differently. This is all a part of Windmark’s evil plan, isn’t it? 

Photo by SH

That’s…a lot…of ellipses. And an extraneous hyphen. And a dessert that sounds pretty gross to me. But I’m pretty firm in my belief that anything that is not chocolate is a waste of time. 

And finally, just remember that you should only use the restroom at the restaurant if you’re a customer. Otherwise, there could be a problem. 

Photo by CS, via JR

 Yikes!

Presented With One Small Comment

Photo by AD

In their defense, the beverage does complete the meal.

(Thanks, AD!)

FRIDAY, December 19, 2012

It's Friday, and possibly your last office day of 2012 (as it is mine). Are you as excited about it as I am? Are you having as much of a hard time as I am staying focused? I have already made my list of things to do over the very short break, but I admit I'm mostly looking forward to not waking to an alarm every morning. I really hate that jerky little thing.

As 2013 looms ahead, I've been thinking about the future, and I'm very sad to report that I will, for the most part, be wrapping things up here at the spelling blog. I've had a FANTASTIC time sharing these crazy errors with y'all, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to dedicate to it the time it deserves what with the whole day job, and I hate having these posts up if I haven't given them all I've got. You guys deserve better! I want to thank all of you for checking in, sending submissions, and hanging in there during the past year! You guys are the best!

As submissions come in, I'll throw them up from time to time, in which case the automatic internet genies will automatically post them over at the Facebook, twitter, and tumblr pages. Keep an eye there for future posts.

Today's final Presented Without Comment is coming up, and again, thanks to all of you who've hung in there with me! It's been a blast!

When you see it...

My friend MLW just sent me an email which was kind of tough to link to, so I just made a screengrab, so you can have a little looksy.

That gift card thing seems like a good deal, no? 

At least they're consistent?

(Thanks, MLW!)

Link Roundup

Are you, like me, still working instead of off gallivanting somewhere for the holidays? I'm sorry. Here are some links to check out to help pass the time.

This error in this article is only noticeable if you parlais Francais. If we assume the gender indicated in the title is correct, then the verb in the second line of the first paragraph is incorrect. Which is especially sad seeing as how it's correct in the title. But, more importantly, the first line of the first paragraph says that the wine arrives tonight. Which means that you'd likely want the present tense of the verb, and not the past tense conjugation, so this seems all wrong to me. I think he wants to say the wine "is arriving" tonight, but putting those two words together creates passe compose, or past tense. In French, you just use present, right? It's been a long time since I had to deal with this, so y'all just tell me what's what.
(via LA Weekly, h/t DD)

The Godfather of Soul deserved better, y'all.
(via African American Funeral Programs from the East Central Georgia Regional Library, h/t AW)

A rundown of the year in typos, mistakes and corrections. I'm proud to have shared some of them with you.
(via The Atlantic Wire, h/t JR)

And because that's how I roll, here's my latest post over on Lucky's website. I don't THINK there's anything spelled wrong in there, but maybe?
(via Lucky's website)

Options...

Yet another screengrab that I took without making note of where I found it. I'm a busy person. I have things to do. I have to screengrab and go!

I wonder what side I was checking out...

It's like an afterthought, all the way down there at the end. It seems a little cruel to force the VEGETARIANS to skim all the foods they'd prefer to avoid to get to their offerings, but there you have it. And then, when they get down there, it's not even spelled right. That's kind of an extra dose of mean.

Perhaps they were too busy divvying up their menu's beef, chicken, and pork offerings into their own sections. That's weird, right? Menus, man. Getting more complicated every day.