If Grammar is So Hard, What Hope Do We Have for World Peace, Really?
Stuff I hate July 12th, 2014Amazon just yelled at me in an email to get off my ass and blog more. Apparently, they like it if the people who subscribe to Junk Drawer on Kindle actually get something they pay for.
Since I haven’t written in a month, I got flagged for being a slacker. Sorry Kindle people! I promise to do better and stop writing exclusively for The Facebook.
Starting with two grammar failures I found on TV graphics within 12 hours of each other.
Signs the world is going to hell in a hand basket: unnecessary apostrophes and misspellings.
First, this one had me confused because the TV was muted and I thought by the graphic it meant there was a $25k lawsuit involving champagne. Makes no sense, right? So I unmuted to discover they’re referring to a three-story, $25,000 per night NYC suite, if you’re so inclined to spend your riches that way.
Suite. With an “e.” Not suit. Got it?
And then there’s this thing. God, I hate when people don’t get its correctly. This one bothered me more because, although the above picture came from a local news station with tighter deadlines, this one comes from an ABC program called What Would You Do? Presumably, the show is in production for weeks or even months and surely they would have plenty of time to review and edit for grammar. No?
This concludes my one month absence from blogging.
I promise to try and write more for Junk Drawer, especially since in two weeks it’ll be 7 years old. It deserves more. You deserve more. At least the three readers I have left.
Have a splendid weekend, folks!
Stumble it!
July 12th, 2014 at 8:57 am
“I thought by the graphic it meant there was a $25k lawsuit involving champagne.”
Bwhahhahaha! Kathy, that is HILARIOUS! But you’re right, that’s exactly what it looks like it means. I wonder if anyone called the news station and told them about it?
Both of these blow me away because I would think they’d have someone on staff who checks things like this before they go live!?
“especially since in two weeks it’ll be 7 years old.”
That’s awesome! I’ll be coming up to my 7-year mark in September.
Fun post, my friend!
Ron´s last blog post ..Some Of My Favorite Smells And One Of My Least Favorite
July 12th, 2014 at 10:25 am
I still read! Really, I do! (Just not on Kindle.)
Wynn Anne´s last blog post ..Five Places: In the Green Wood
July 12th, 2014 at 10:33 am
Ha, the Amazon police are after you–that’s funny! I always enjoy your posts so if you post, I will read. I never read blogs on my Kindle. Both the above errors are hard to believe proofreaders missed them.
Karen and Gerard´s last blog post ..7 Benefits of Raspberries–Eat Up!
July 12th, 2014 at 10:37 am
I WANT MY MONEY BACK!! Wait….I don’t subscribe. Oops.
Anyway…
I like when you post, Kathy. Come back to blogging. Let’s make it cool again.
Lin´s last blog post ..Parking lot friends
July 12th, 2014 at 10:40 am
Oh please don’t get me started this early in the day! We watch the local news at 4 (NBC Washington DC) and the graphics spelling errors are too numerous to mention (including wrong graphic/story). Mispronunciations? Every other word it seems – last night it was ‘vee-HICK-el’ – 3 times the woman said that in the same report. Nooooo
Grace´s last blog post ..Interpret as you will
July 12th, 2014 at 10:52 am
They are everywhere! I see then/than all over the place – including in supposedly peer-reviewed academic journals, which makes me crazy…especially when they are assigned reading for students.
And newspapers! Ack!
Lauralee´s last blog post ..New Site
July 12th, 2014 at 11:43 am
When my family moved to Oklahoma, I couldn’t get over the commercials for local furniture places calling “suites” “suits (verbally). Technically, that’s allowable, according to the dictionary but I couldn’t help cringing whenever I heard it.
Stephanie Barr´s last blog post ..Special Coupon for Tarot Queen for those few of you who still read my blogs
July 12th, 2014 at 11:57 am
Jesus! Embarrassing for us as a country…
July 12th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
I got the same message from Amazon even though I posted yesterday or the day before about, of all things, Facebook.
I only correct my kids because if I were to correct someone online all they’d have to do is read my blog to see what a hypocrite I am.
It’s been so long since I’ve done this blogging thing that I had to go to my blog to copy and paste the URL of my blog here. No autofill and I couldn’t remember how to write the http etc out. GAH!!
Jen´s last blog post ..Conflicting Bumper Stickers
July 12th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
EVERYONE: Aw! This is so nice. I feel like you showed up for a surprise birthday party in my honor. Thank you for being here! I figured I’d only get one comment and it would be from someone who stumbled on Junk Drawer accidentally. Hee. It’s good to see you.
Ron — I really do want to contact ABC about the “it’s” thing because they have no excuse. I’m glad we’re both members of the 7 Year Club, though you haven’t slacked off like I have. You still have regular, rich, thought-provoking, and funny content. I’m glad you still do what you do and do it so well, my friend.
Wynn Anne — I’m glad you do! BTW, I was just poking around Kindness by KB and Ripple Kindness Project pages on Facebook. I love reading those. I must have heard of the second page from you. The stories warm my cold, dead heart.
Karen — If anything, I thought it would be the BlogHer people after me. I know they have fairly strict rules about post frequency. Either way, I’m glad someone gave me a kick in the pants. Thank you for always reading. It might interest you to know your blog is one of only maybe a dozen I still read. So many people are dropping out. I like your posts. They always put a smile on my face, even though I don’t always comment.
Lin — And yours is another that I still read regularly. You, Ron and Karen probably post the most often of the blogs I still subscribe to and I’m glad you do. And thank you for sending me those YouTube videos the other day. They were pee-your-pants funny!
Grace — I HATE vee-HICK-le!!!!! Agreed. Just no.
Lauralee — I have a great shot of some weather newscast where they had both “then” and “than” on the same graphic (they wanted “than” for both). I wish I could find it. That drives me insane. I would be flabbergasted to see a glaring mistake like that in an academic journal. Oy.
Stephanie Barr — I think it’s a suit if it’s a mixture of chairs and couches or a dining set, right? In this NYC story, definitely a suite. Also? $25k for one night? Gimme a break. There have to be better ways for stinking rich people to spend their money. Like, maybe pay off my house. Hee.
Christy — It is. And it’s a slippery slope that I think began with the advent of cell phones. It’s all over for us, really.
Jen — After I posted this, I realized I haven’t written for six weeks, not just four. Geez, I really went long, didn’t I? That’s hilarious about forgetting how to type a URL. You’ve been busy with other things. It’s OK {{pats head}}.
July 12th, 2014 at 6:27 pm
I have to admit, that most of these awful mistakes I find online. I can’t say I’ve seen any on our TV, but I’ve ‘heard’ plenty on it! Mo and I cringe at some of the bad grammar we here now. It’s becoming the norm, sadly.
If you start blogging regularly, I might even be guilt tripped into doing better myself.
July 13th, 2014 at 5:50 am
I don’t watch much TV so I don’t see too many mistakes like this there but reading on my kindle I’ve discovered that editing isn’t what it used to be.
Ann´s last blog post ..Busted
July 13th, 2014 at 4:11 pm
Babs — I think annoyance of bad grammar and spelling will die out with our generation. The next ones just don’t care and they don’t seem to be penalized for it, so why should they care? As for blogging, you’ve been more active blogging than I’ve been. Congrats on that. How long have you been blogging now, Babs?
Ann — Probably because no one believes editors are worth their weight in gold.
July 14th, 2014 at 9:00 am
As much as I prefer 6ABC for the “local” news (newscaster-wise), whomever does their editing is simply atrocious. I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t notice something wrong on that channel, usually in the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen.
Now that you’ve locked into this, I’m going to start taking screenshots and sending them your way. Or just stop watching Channel 6. Not sure which.
July 14th, 2014 at 4:26 pm
Grant — I really do wonder if they have someone who reviews the stuff before it goes live. I mean, my God, all you need is ONE other person who’ll probably catch the stuff. If I was the one responsible for copy, I would greatly appreciate someone reviewing my work. If you catch any, yes, send them to me. By the sound of it, I could probably get another post out of them!
August 5th, 2014 at 7:37 pm
Congratulations on 7 years in the blogosphere. My 5th is coming up in September. That is the longest I’ve stuck with a project/hobby. We’ll see how far it goes.
Linda´s last blog post ..Quote of the Week
August 13th, 2014 at 11:42 pm
Hi Kathy,
In boondoggling from work duties, I stumbled upon your blog (don’t worry, no major damage, just a slight bruise to my right knee) and enjoyed the read.
Growing up, my grammar was hard on me, which is why I’m diligent with my grammar today. I don’t know if you know Weird Al, or if you are one of his characters (it is a crazy world), but it is good timing with your blog coming out before his musical parody about this kind of thing.
I will admit, I do get confused with the “its”, when I don’t think (which is my problem, apparently) – unfortunately, I do my best typing when I don’t think.
I do get a lot of enjoyment out of wordplay, much to the demusement of my wife. I think it(‘)s because of this that I trip myself up on ocassion. It(‘)s a cross I bear(bare).
Anyhoo, kudos on your page, you look well suite’d to this stuff – look’s suit…
Ronnie Peace´s last blog post ..Peace’O’Mind: Supermoon beats Wind beats Cloud Cover beats Super…
August 27th, 2014 at 8:28 am
I was really hoping for a $25,000 suit made entirely out of champagne, although it would probably be pretty sticky.
Dan Van Oss´s last blog post ..20 (Suspicious Yet Mildly Useful) Facts About Iowa