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June 16, 2005 05:36 PM

Broken: Signs at Coney Island

Coney4_1Alice S. points us to Brian Sack's comments as self-appointed grammar cop. Brilliant. At left: a "crime spree" of misspellings and typos on the famed Coney Island boardwalk.

Comments:

Everyday I see examples of this. Misspelling, misuse (example your in place of you're) daily I find this destruction on business signs and in newspapers. It appears that many americans have given up pride when I point out a few mistakes I'm answered back with so what's the big deal. It may not be a big deal in friendly conversation but when it comes to professional usage it does matter.

One of the things it proves is that either the educational system is failing and/or businesses prefer to higher the person with less schooling in order to save money.

Posted by: kent at June 16, 2005 07:08 PM

You're error is right their in your last sentence.

Um, I mean right they're in you're last sentence.

Or something.

Posted by: Hoki at June 16, 2005 07:40 PM

Right with ya Kent, although I think you meant, "hire" and not "higher". But that's the difference between a typo and people who consistently spell words incorrectly and then when you point it out to them, they actually get mad!! Tha hell?

The other day I started to apply for a job until I read in their job description the non word, "irregardless". Screw it. I just can't work for someone who actually uses that.

Posted by: Faolan at June 16, 2005 07:50 PM

Faolan yes you are correct I was thinking of wording my sentence as 'higher' education however I rephrased the sentence but didn't change to hire oops. Hey I'm not perfect but in a professional setting I proof read and when uncertain I check.

Hoki if that was directed at me I'm not certain what mistake you are referring to I know they excist as I quickly posted without proofing sometimes I feel its ok to let some language rules lapse in a non-professional situation such as posting in blogs but that's just my opinion.

Posted by: kent at June 16, 2005 08:24 PM

kent: That may lead to similar sloppiness in less casual situations.

Faolan: Irregardless is a word, but it is slang, redundant, and mostly used in spoken language.

Posted by: Fuzzy at June 16, 2005 08:31 PM

Uggh, Kent! While we're being self-appointed grammar cops, yours sucks! Geez, can you say 'run on sentence'? Does your comma button work? Did you have too many dacquari refills? I think grammar cops are more self-righteous than -appointed. Irregardless *is* a word, Faolan. You lost your job opportunity! See the non-word wonder here: http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=irregardless

at merriam-webster's website.

Posted by: Bob at June 16, 2005 08:38 PM

Let's see what Bob did . . . Uggh is not a word.

You didn't put the apostrophe in "your's". "Geez" is slang. "Run on sentence" would be more

appropriate than 'run on sentence'. You spelled

daiquari "dacquari". Finally, your last sentence

is kind of warped. Grammar my butt.

Posted by: nickd at June 16, 2005 08:54 PM

Nickd, this is comical! There's no apostrophe in "yours", there's only one A in "daiquiri", and when you criticize someone's last sentence for poor grammar, your own last sentence should have a verb.

Posted by: stoo at June 16, 2005 09:07 PM

You guys are hilarious. How come nobody has pointed out that Kent spelled "exist" as "excist"? As long as we're making corrections, we might as well get them all...

Oh yeah, and "Americans" is usually capitalized.

Forget all this grammar - let's go raceing! ( :

Posted by: Amber at June 16, 2005 10:07 PM

I read this site every day and smile. Today, I'm laughing out loud. Thanks, especially Amber :)

Posted by: me at June 16, 2005 11:04 PM

I have always wanted to go ballon raceing

Posted by: joltin joe at June 17, 2005 12:18 AM

Anyone notice this FORUM is broken?

Posted by: falafel at June 17, 2005 02:22 AM

I've never understood that! I probably make a bunch of typos daily. When I'm sending someone a quick e-mail, or posting some ramblings on a blog, I don't proofread too extensively. But you'd think that if you're making an enormous sign, you might take a minute to spell-check.

There's this new sign outside an area business that I drive by a lot. I forget exactly what it says, but it's something plural ("Specials" or whatnot.) It looks more like "Special s," with a very obvious space between the L and the S. I like to imagine -- though I really have no idea -- that the shopkeeper bought the sign and found an apostrophe in that space, and fixed it himself.

Posted by: Matt at June 17, 2005 03:11 AM

While it may not be the case in this instance, sometimes these spelling mistakes are intentional. IANAL, but as I understand it, you cannot copyright, or trademark common words, but if you misspell them, you can copyright, or trademark them. Again, not the reason for this mistake.

Posted by: Apu at June 17, 2005 05:49 AM

Are all off those actually real? I can't believe that all of those are really misspelled.

Posted by: jfd at June 17, 2005 08:47 AM

NickD- I feel all right using onomatopoeias like Ugghh, and 'slang' like Geez. And, Nick, I know i spelled daiquiri wrong. It's a reference to the site the post-er linked to. Word's grammar check had nothing to say about my supposed missing apostrophe. I admit that my last sentence needs work, but that's it.

JFD- I hope you spelled of 'off' on purpose, or else the grammar cops will skewer you, too.

Posted by: Bob at June 17, 2005 09:07 AM

Hey guys, chill. This flame-war is about the dumbest thread I've read in this site, not to mention the furthest from the original topic (although it IS pretty funny to watch people get so mad). The sign at the top is misspelled. It's 'broken', and as per the purpose of this site it was posted as such. Got constructive/interesting (but PERTINENT) comments? Post away. Want to spend all day playing grammer-sniper with each others misspellings? Start your own blog!

Thanks! I love this site. :)

Posted by: Tim at June 17, 2005 09:22 AM

(Aww heck, I might as well fan the flames while I'm posting. That was aimed directly at Kent, Bob, Matt, Stoo, Fuzzy, and Nickd. Oh, and Bob, don't try and save grace with "onomatopoeias". Anyone can use a thesaurus. It's not that impressive a skill.

Heh-heh. Go ahead now. Roast me. :D )

(thanks especially to Amber, 'me', and joltin joe for keeping it lighthearted)

Posted by: Tim at June 17, 2005 09:31 AM

OK, I made a mistake with "yours". Or did I? Could someone check without using F7?...

Posted by: nickd at June 17, 2005 09:46 AM

Lets face it, propr english, pronuncaton, speling etc. are a thing of the passed today. One of my favortes is "You've got questions?" "We've got answers!"

Why not "You have questions? We have answers!"

Ah hell, who cares anymor?

Posted by: Onery at June 17, 2005 11:27 AM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skitt's_Law

Yes, it's related to the post at hand. ::grin:: I've also seen it cited as Gaudere's Law, from a poster who made a similar statement on The Straight Dope forums, for what it's worth.

Posted by: codeman38 at June 17, 2005 11:37 AM

It all started when Americans began misspelling words like "honour" and "centre" ... Then dictionaries began accepting pronunciations like "nookyewlar" ... I firmly believe that within 10 years, it will be standard American English to put an apostrophe before the terminal "s" in all words: contractions, possessives, or plurals.

Posted by: E.T. at June 17, 2005 11:38 AM

"Could someone check without using F7?..."

What is F7?? What does it have to do with anything?

Posted by: hackmiester at June 17, 2005 11:42 AM

> "run on sentence"

Hmm...

No one mentioned the dash in "run-on sentence."

> I feel all right using onomatopoeias like

> Ugghh

The word for the onomatopoeia is spelled "Ugh," with only one 'g' and 'h'.

> I firmly believe that within 10 years, it

> will be standard American English to put an

> apostrophe before the terminal "s" in all

> words: contractions, possessives, or

> plurals.

You mean contradiction's, possessive's, or plural's. :)

By the way, nickd, are you the same nickd of WFRNG fame?

Posted by: Shadow at June 17, 2005 11:55 AM

What's WFRNG?

Posted by: nickd at June 17, 2005 12:33 PM

>The word for the onomatopoeia is spelled "Ugh," with only one 'g' and 'h'.

Documentation? I'd like to see a reference on this. ;-)

Does anyone actually keep a reference on this? There was a rather protracted thread on Fark (http://www.fark.com ) over the trademark "Law and Order" sound. (http://forums.fark.com/cgi/fark/comments.pl?IDLink=1282289 )

Posted by: Hoki at June 17, 2005 02:31 PM

Bob, I'm fully aware that "irregardles" is an official word but I'm also fully aware that it's ridiculous to use it and I don't feel I've lost my "job opportunity" as people who use irregardless also have a habit of saying things like, "for intensive purposes". Nothing wrong with using grammar correctly and pointing out when others do not and nothing wrong with getting a sense of people because of their grammar.

Posted by: Faolan at June 17, 2005 05:37 PM

Grammar police?

I don't concider myself a grammar police and take these postings to be humorous. I haven't been critical of posts' errors, yet(this is a casual setting as mentioned previously).

Onery referring to your first line I got the idea that you either typed your post in this manner to be humorous, make a point, or see if anyone else would attack it but I'll mention one: past not passed.

Fuzzy: That may lead to similar sloppiness in less casual situations.

I'm familiar with casual and formal but what is less casual?

While I'm at it here are a few punctuation marksuse them in my or other posts as needed. ,,,,''''"".....??:)enjoy!!!

Posted by: Kent at June 17, 2005 09:57 PM

every1 stop bikerin bout every1s grammer! it dosnt mater, their is a diferense btween teh big ol sign wit 2 words that shuld be notisd by some1 then ever1s post hear that is quik and dosn't nead 2 b spelcheckd!

Posted by: I Like Balloon Raceing at June 18, 2005 12:30 AM

Hell, if you don't no how to spell daquerieas, why didnt you say he had a dagum bear? Milwalkeeee Beast fer me- Whooeee!! Onamonapeeeya!!!! Besides peeya, thay make ya poopya (pants)!!!.... hugh???

Now I jist cant beleve that somebody would not work for a cumpany, because they spelt irregardles. Boy, ya'll shoulda been a teecher or something. Yall real smart there. Sure wish I was like ya

Posted by: big john at June 18, 2005 02:12 AM

>> The word for the onomatopoeia is spelled

>> "Ugh," with only one 'g' and 'h'.

>

> Documentation? I'd like to see a reference on

> this. ;-)

Dictionary.com lists "Ugh" as a word, but not "Ugghh" or any other variation I've tried.

Same goes for Merriam-Webster Online:

| The word you've entered isn't in the

| dictionary. Click on a spelling suggestion

| below or try again using the search box to

| the right.

|

| Suggestions for ugghh:

|

| [snip]

| 2. ugh

> OK, I made a mistake with "yours". Or did

> I? Could someone check without using F7?...

Whatever it F7 is, I knew how to spell "yours" since around second grade. And the rest of my class learned it four months ago, in Ninth Grade Communications. Let's see if I can find a reference, preferably on Wikipedia.

Aha. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronoun

The standard second-person singular possessive pronoun is "yours." There is no mention of "your's."

> What's WFRNG?

I'll take that as a "no."

> concider

"Consider."

Posted by: Shadow at June 18, 2005 11:26 AM

Omigod....You're making me peeya my pants! LMFAO. This has to be the funniest thread ever. Amber, you killed me. Kent, concider is spelled consider. And what the hell IS WFRNG??

Posted by: picklejuice at June 18, 2005 05:26 PM

wall flower race nugat gear. Using references is an impressive skill. Knowing when you don't know something is part of knowing your self. I know I know shut up dghghd

Posted by: dghghd at June 19, 2005 10:11 AM

WFRNG = Nick D's Wacky Fun Random Number Generator, apparently written by a different Nick D, for Texas Instruments scientific calculators.

Posted by: Hoki at June 19, 2005 02:00 PM

The only "crime sprees" on Coney that I'm familiar with are the illegal kinn=d, not grammatical errors.

Posted by: Howard at June 19, 2005 02:13 PM

oops! wrong url in last post. Please see this one.

Posted by: Howard at June 19, 2005 02:14 PM

Holy Crap! I'm not going to post on this one anymore. Onomatopoeia! Mmmmm... roasted Tim!

What's a Wacky Fun Random Number Generator? Cool name, though.

Posted by: Bob at June 20, 2005 08:27 PM

Holy Crap! I'm not going to post on this one anymore. Onomatopoeia! Mmmmm... roasted Tim!

What's a Wacky Fun Random Number Generator? Cool name, though.

Posted by: Bob at June 20, 2005 08:27 PM

All your grammar are belong to us.

Posted by: anothermouse at June 21, 2005 10:27 PM

I still don't know what F7 is. :-) Could anyone enlighten me?

Posted by: hackmiester at June 22, 2005 09:12 AM

F7 in Microsoft Word runs the Spelling and Grammar checker.

I prefer Shift-F7, which shows you synonyms for the current word.

Posted by: Bob Sifniades at June 22, 2005 10:12 PM

Apparently, according to headings found at ticalc.com, it's actually the Wacky Fun Random Numbar Generator. (Note the misspelt word "numbar")

http://www.ticalc.org/archives/files/fileinfo/139/rev13909.html

Posted by: Hoo Pee at June 23, 2005 08:58 AM

Whoops. ticalc.org. Duh.

Posted by: Hoo Pee at June 23, 2005 08:59 AM

I object to the way this forum thinks that misspellings qualify as 'brokenness.'

Being 'broken' is all about crappy usability. It's about a door having pull handles under the word 'push.' It's about signs that can't be understood.

It's not about typography.

Cathy

Posted by: cathy at June 23, 2005 11:41 AM

Are the words "colour" and "grey" misspelled?

Posted by: someone at June 23, 2005 12:21 PM

Irregardless *is not* a word, Bob. According to the very link you provided:

"Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead."

Faolan didn't miss much.

Posted by: Pizdin Dim at June 24, 2005 03:54 AM

Well, it was in the dictionary.

Posted by: Bob at June 26, 2005 10:30 PM

(Ringing bell sound) and Timmy shouts,"RECESS."

Posted by: Timmmy at December 12, 2005 02:38 AM

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