Bad Grammar in Public

[JadeAngel]

I'll never forget a high school debate in which my opposing speaker kept using the word 'mouses' as the plural for mouse. You better believe I corrected him when it was my turn to speak. 


Right now there's a radio ad which drives me insane, although I've never been quite sure if it's gramatically incorrect. The name of the company is 'Direct' and they use the word repeatedly through the ad, including the following statement towards the beginning.

For more information go 'direct' to our website

Everytime it comes to that part I snap 'directLY!', but I'm thinking 'direct' could be right as well.

Grammarians?

[violinp]

I hate when papers/radio presenters state that a person hung themselves.  The word is "hanged".

I twitch every time I hear that, especially because I automatically think of what we ehellions call male scrabble tiles when someone says, "He was hung." I think to myself, "Well, I hope so!"

[Danika]

I'll never forget a high school debate in which my opposing speaker kept using the word 'mouses' as the plural for mouse. You better believe I corrected him when it was my turn to speak. 


Right now there's a radio ad which drives me insane, although I've never been quite sure if it's gramatically incorrect. The name of the company is 'Direct' and they use the word repeatedly through the ad, including the following statement towards the beginning.

For more information go 'direct' to our website

Everytime it comes to that part I snap 'directLY!', but I'm thinking 'direct' could be right as well.

Grammarians?

Hmmm, Merriam-Webster says that 'direct' can be an adverb. But the examples seem to show that it's used differently. And I know I'd be annoyed by the way the Direct company is using it in their ad.

But back to the 'mouse' discussion, I have to insert this story because it's just sad and funny at the same time. When my husband first bought his own house it had a mouse problem. He has two advanced degrees (albeit in engineering and not English) and I mention this to show that he's not uneducated. We started dating and he told me about the different solutions he tried to get rid of the mouse problem. He mentioned steel wool in holes and mouse traps. I asked him if he had tried mouse poison. He said he had never seen that. At the store, I pointed out something that was a poison which said it killed mice. He told me that wouldn't work because a mouse was a different animal than a mice.

[Reuth]

Right now there's a radio ad which drives me insane, although I've never been quite sure if it's gramatically incorrect. The name of the company is 'Direct' and they use the word repeatedly through the ad, including the following statement towards the beginning.

For more information go 'direct' to our website

Everytime it comes to that part I snap 'directLY!', but I'm thinking 'direct' could be right as well.

Grammarians?

It wouldn't bother me; since it's the name of the company, I'd assume they were just trying to be clever.

[RegionMom]

My local grocery store has a handwritten sign, "ten item's or fewer" that is put out for different times of day, instead of a dedicated lane.  I have shown it to the manager.  I have marked out the errant apostrophe. Twice, I have turned it into a smiley face, using the apostrophe as an eye.   I go twice a week.  I continue to see new handwritten "item's" and I am about to buy MORE than I really need, just to avoid that blasted sign!!!

A great BBQ place around here offered root beer flaots.  Yumm!!  They did fix the spelling when new menus were ordered, but my family still calls them flaots. 

In HS, and again in college, I had English teachers that offered points for real life examples of grammar errors.  Sadly,  many were found in the college cafeteria.

I DO carry a red pen in my wallet.  I HAVE used it. 

[Maxiestar]

At the Hlallmark store today:

"1" each per style. Per customer.

This sign was posted on a lower shelf of their boxed holiday ornaments.

[MandiC76]

I don't know if any of you have seen/read this book, but it is very interesting reading.

http://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311794639&sr=1-1

[#1aunt]

Has anyone else seen the new Mercedes-Benz commercial?   "More really-cool-things, More awesome-stuff, More fancy-crap, Less doors."

[Twik]

What's with the general abandonment of the word "paid"? I've seen more people spelling "payed" (in places where things *should* be proofread) than otherwise, including bills marked "Payed in full".

[Hollanda]

"Karioky. Saturday night's 8-l8".

Sign on a local pub door.  I mean, seriously.