Grammar that makes you cringe

[rogerzilla]

This from a comment on a Swindon Advertiser story.

why don,t they repair all the hole,s in the road,s

[Arch]

This from a comment on a Swindon Advertiser story.

why don,t they repair all the hole,s in the road,s

Presumably all the apostrophes fell into the all the potholes....

[citoyen]

"You may think you are some great Batman of Apostrophes... But in reality, you are a jerk who has defaced a sign..."

http://korystamper.wordpress.com/2013/03/01/a-plea-for-sanity-this-national-us-grammar-day/

[mattc]

That post does nicely sum up the conflicting issues.

Love that quote - who will be first to use "Batman of Apostrophes" in their sig?!?

[ian]

For some reason I can't recall, I removed the phrase 'Holy gratuitous use of apostrophes, Batman' from an earlier post. There must be a theme. Maybe if they persuade Nolan back to do a fourth Dark Knight, Batman can fight his new nemesis, the Grocer's Apostrophizer. I'd like that.

Marvellous piece though, sums up my thoughts on grammar nerdism. Also uses the word corybantic, which is one of my large arsenal of rarely used words slated for inclusion in any email that I send up to the mothership bridge. I like to think of our 'executive leadership' sending their PAs scurrying out to look up words on the off-chance I'm calling them rude names.

[Cudzoziemiec]

"Peeververein" is a good word too (and one that applies to quite a bit of YACF  ). I'd like a "piwoverein" myself (look it up if you really want to know - you could shine a light on it from your Pifco torch)  .

[Bledlow]

But but but! Piwoverein is a mixture of Germanic & Slavic languages! The language Nazis will get you, watch my words.

It has led me to a this, though, which can't be bad - http://www.piwo.org/page/index.html 

[Cudzoziemiec]

So if you live in the countries affected, please write in with your views on how we have scored them. [address should go here]

Ok, not grammar, just - well, that whole article about papal candidates and the summaries of the cardinals http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/12/cardinal-candidates-pope clearly hasn't been read by anyone before publishing.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Headline in Every Yacfer's Favourite Journal of News and Views:

Swine flu resistance 'increasing'

Does that mean people's resistance to swine flu or swine flu's resistance to treatment? Or perhaps pigs' resistance to swine flu?

(ok, I'm being moany)

[drossall]

I've always wondered about the "survivability" of military equipment. Usability means "Can you use it?" Flexibility means "Can you flex it?" I thought that the whole idea was for a tank not to be survivable

[rogerzilla]

http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10302147.Boy_injured_by_bus_released_from_hospital/

They really should have kept the vehicle in for observation until they were sure it was fully recovered, and no longer a danger to boys.

[hellymedic]

"If the baby does not thrive on raw milk, boil it."

[mattc]

Roll-up, Roll-up - Apostrophe Competition!

A sign at work is crying out to be 'enhanced', and they've even left a space for me to scribble in.
It's something like this:

Please leave the toilet's _________*
in the same state
you would like to
find them.


Suggestions welcome for the asterisked space!

(i was hoping for something erudite - like 'morals', which doesn't quite work ... )

[rogerzilla]

Roll-up, Roll-up - Apostrophe Competition!

A sign at work is crying out to be 'enhanced', and they've even left a space for me to scribble in.
It's something like this:

Please leave the toilet's _________*
in the same state
you would like to
find them.


Suggestions welcome for the asterisked space!

(i was hoping for something erudite - like 'morals', which doesn't quite work ... )

Inner feelings?

The old joke goes:

The sign said "Please leave this toilet as you would expect to find it".  So I pissed on the seat, shat on the floor and stole the bog roll.

[Basil]

The toilet's hopes and dreams

[clarion]

But if the toilet has a plural characteristic or possession, then it does work.

[Tim Hall]

skid marks?

[citoyen]

"If the baby does not thrive on raw milk, boil it."

We should start a new thread for "grammar that makes you chortle with glee".

[citoyen]

Roll-up, Roll-up - Apostrophe Competition!

A sign at work is crying out to be 'enhanced', and they've even left a space for me to scribble in.
It's something like this:

Please leave the toilet's _________*
in the same state
you would like to
find them.


Suggestions welcome for the asterisked space!

(i was hoping for something erudite - like 'morals', which doesn't quite work ... )

Nothing in the space but there should be a comma after "leave".

"Them" is here being used as a gender-neutral singular.

[orienteer]

Email from Uniqlo: This seasons essential Polo's! £14.90!

[Paul]

Please leave the toilet's notices
in the same state
you would like to
find them.

[eck]

Spotted by our lovely daughter

"In our organization we have: - A night shelter for the homeless witch every night.."

She commented:

Nice volunteering opportunity for all the occult fans out there

[Bledlow]

Email from Uniqlo: This seasons essential Polo's! £14.90!

Maybe it was from group head office in 宇部市, 山口県.

[Ian H]

Yesterday's Guardian: "However the freezing temperatures in January meant that some species of birds saw an increase in gardens..."

To be fair the online version has been corrected to, "However the freezing temperatures in January meant that some species of birds increased in gardens..."

[mattc]

Please leave the toilet's notices
in the same state
you would like to
find them.

As ever, lateral thinking wins the day 

(with Honourable Mention prize to Roadrunner for "Inhabitants" )

Both prizes are book tokens for £0 - collect them when you next see me.

(It's my last day there on Tuesday