Why I do this

[patrick_vecchio]

Comments

[song_of_copper]

'Words that say things and stuff' v. 'language that communicates meaning effectively': once you know the difference, it cannot be unseen

[patrick_vecchio]

"Does it sound like something you'd say?" is what I ask students when their writing is overcooked. And I know exactly what you're saying about signs. In our university's basketball arena, there's a big sign over the place where fans buy hot dogs and soft drinks at halftime. The sign says "concession's." If female fans drink too many soft drinks, then they go downstairs to the "womens" room. I'm not making this up. (And for sure there's a mistake in my message, which I won't see until after I hit "post comment.")

[song_of_copper]

Ouch! That ("concession's") is known as the "greengrocer's apostrophe" over here (as in, 'Banana's, £1 a bunch', often seen where fruit and veg is for sale, usually written very elaborately with marker pens).

In the category of "I don't think you meant to say that", here's one I just spotted:

"A computer software was officially ranked ”international grand master” after playing with itself for merely 72 hours." (Seen on Google News, but perpetrated by the Manila Bulletin.) Wow, apparently chess really can be satisfying, even without an opponent!!

[patrick_vecchio]

That last paragraph has thousand's of possibility's for tasteless remark's-so many that it's impossible to even start.

[matrixmann]

If you step through social media it's no miracle that one's sense for language gets that much addressed that you want to rewrite or slap people in the face... 95% of people need what is called "Duden" here for their respective languages.

[patrick_vecchio]

Duden. I'm stealing that one. Thanks!

[anonymous]

Awesome.

[patrick_vecchio]

We aims to please.