While looking for a pre-race dinner in Coupeville, we spotted this sign advertising cruises in Penn Cove.
Apostrophe (and spelling!) abuse on Whidbey Island
1
Author Archives: ApostropheAbuse
Mushroom’s… Quesadilla…
Are there mushrooms in the quesadilla? Are they two separate items on the plate? Perhaps Mushroom is the the nickname of one of the chefs?
Seen at El Sabor de Oaxaca on James. The former restaurant at this location also earned an entry on Apostrophe Abuse.
Abuse at Starbucks
Spotted at Starbucks in the Smith Tower.
Abuse from David Mamet
For newborns with multiple personality disorder
The editors of Baby Names for Dummies probably should have checked out this book in the series before going to press.
(Thanks, Eli!)
Abuse in the hospital
Another contribution via Amber‘s mom:
My dad is in the hospital, and yet in the midst of it, my mom still manages to stay on the lookout for apostrophe abuse. What a trooper.
That’s dedication, folks!
Abuse via Elephant & Castle
I was offered this frequent diner card at the Elephant & Castle on Fifth:
…upon closer inspection:
Apostrophe Abuse: Usability Problem?
David Burrowes on apostrophe abuse and parallels in software development:
Usually, when people criticise the abuse of the apostrophe, they seem to have the attitude that the abusers are somehow ignorant, uneducated, or just incompetent.
Perhaps they are.
Yet, as I read through this blog, I realized that this attitude sounds very similar to the attitude of some software creators: “That user isn’t smart enough to use my software!” In the usability field, we see this kind of thing as a problem of the design of the technology, not of the users.
From this viewpoint, the misuse only indicates that there is a usability problem in the written language.
(Link)
Ice Cream Topping’s
Spotted at Larry’s Market on Aurora.
Someone (the contributor, perhaps?) scratched out the apostrophe and added, “It’s not possessive!” to the sign.
(Thanks, Abbie!)
Apostrophe Abuse at BoingBoing
“LA Time’s”? Ouch.