A Spelling Howler - or the chickens coming home to roost?

I just couldn't resist this howler I saw last week in the Caravan Park in Clonea outside Dungarvan - no point in not outing it as it is declaring itself to all and sundry on the roadside just at the park entrance. Makes you wonder is this an effort to protect hapless chickens from terrorist dog attacks or are the dogs in Clonea under threat from some wayward fowl? Whichever, it brightened up my evening when I saw it on the way to visit a friend who's spending her summer on the beach and if the weather is good I can't think of anything more chillaxing. We had a very pleasant evening so this just added to the fun.

I posted a few beauties from the local papers some weeks back and I'm happy to report that the Sponsor's are now sans apostrophe and this week are plain old Sponsors! I doubt they read this blog for their Eureka moment but were probably advised that in this instance their use of the "Greengrocers' Apostrophe" was a tad excessive.

This is the fourth post on ghastly grammar and spelling typos and it probably won't be the last - they are so irresistible and if they hit my "Eats Shoots and Leaves" radar then they will inevitably end up here. Have a look at the others here if you feel inclined and I hope you'll get a giggle from them as much as I did - I'm not quite Lynn Truss going around hijacking offending signs with stick-on apostrophes, but I do try to capture them for posterity when possible, though I often miss the best because the camera's not to hand passing the butchers, or the small ads in the supermarket notice board, or wherever unedited notices are posted.

May they brighten up your day wherever you are - and keep on sharing your gems with the rest of the blogosphere. I've had some great links to other blogs in the past via comments so keep them coming.

Apostrophe Anarchy - Grammatical Gremlins or Glitches?

I found these crimes against punctuation in the local papers this week and couldn't resist adding them to my growing collection of assaults on the English language and grammar. I have already ranted on this theme in previous posts here , here and here- and it looks like there's fodder a-plenty to fill many more posts in the future!

As I drive around in my work I am always drawn to signs on the road - often temporary - which are hilariously erroneous and always try to have the camera at the ready, that's if it's safe to stop and snap. Sadly I missed one recently about agricultural "machine's" entering and leaving a field, but don't you just love these ones here?


The rain is lashing down this weekend, and I thought it's time for a rant; the weather has been so good this summer we can't moan about it as we have done for the past number of years, and we are rapidly running out of conversation topics. As a national past-time you can't beat talking about the weather - a topic guaranteed to bring about national unity in a way that the Government can only dream about.

It never ceases to amaze that these kind of gremlins get past the editing departments of the newpapers, local or national, and I am not out to "get" them, as they perform a great service to their community. However, some judicious editing and proof-reading wouldn't go astray, as I think it's a bit OTT that there are so many glaring errors in one week between two papers.

My worst nightmare in writing this kind of post? Getting it wrong and having a "Greengrocer's Apostrophe" (or even a "Greengrocers' Apostrophe" to pluralise it!) moment myself - would serve me so right for being so sanctimonious about the hapless copywriters (copywriter's?!?) who get it so spectacularly wrong. My son (who oft berates my Eats Shoots and Leaves grammar fascism) pointed out the sponsor's one to me before I'd spotted it, and that set me on the trail of headlines - and I was pretty surprised to turn up the rest in one week's issues!

After all, their Sponsor's mightn't Get's it or wonder what kind of fishing competition can a club with only one angler host? I'm sure Cappoquin has plenty, as I am sure that there's only one crafty Paul alluded to in the article below!

I am sparing their blushes by not identifying the offending media but I am sure you can find plenty in your own locality - just be a little vigilant and keep smiling - there's plenty out there to brighten up a dull summer's day!

The burning question is - are they Glitches or Gremlins? You decide!

Spot the Difference - homophone headaches

First there was this sign...



...then there was this one...

Can you spot the differences? Answers in the Comments box please!!!

These two wedding signs caught my pendantic eye some weeks back so I thought I'd share them with you. I know some of the readers of this blog are grammar and spelling anoraks like myself, always ready to gripe over a grammatical gaffe or spelling slip-up. I have already ranted here and here about language mangling and some hilarious posters.

These were obviously spotted fairly quickly but not before a costly sign had gone up by the hotel entrance. To spare their blushes I won't reveal their identity, and in all fairness they have resolved the problem quite quickly.

It was noted by a few people who commented on it, but I have seen mistakes like these homonym and homophone errors so often lately that may creep into such common usage to become acceptably interchangeable. It will probably continue to be a pet peeve and put me up there (or their) with Lynn Truss and John Humphrys in the language policing stakes.

Apart from these glitches, the venue is great and I have no doubt that it offers good value. The total package is around €5,000 for what's listed, and I think this is reflecting recession times for all you wannabee brides out there.