What's wrong with this picture?
Many, many years ago we got this house sign as a Christmas gift from the realtor who sold us the house we were living in at the time. Her business card is still taped to the back with "Merry Christmas!" written across one corner. We planned to put it up, but I don't think we ever did. Nor did we put it on either of the two houses after that one. We planned to, but never got around to it. It traveled around with us in a box. Then Ray found it several months ago and nailed it up above the garage door. Funny how we had never noticed the totally wrong and unnecessary apostrophe until it was up on the wall. It really is such a nice, kind of funky, sign, but it just can never be right. Even if you wanted to interpret it as meaning "The Grants' house" the apostrophe is in the wrong place. If we chiseled the apostrophe off there would always be an awkward space and bad spot where it had been. So enjoy its lovely workmanship and puzzle over the sign maker's inept punctuation, because it is on its way to the trash. (We'd burn it ceremoniously, except that it seems to be finished with resin that would probably be a big problem if burned.)
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Yes, I really was sick yesterday. Still am, but getting better. I have bronchitis and have been useless. I finished "The Girl Who Played with Fire." and am now looking forward to reading the final book in the series. I also enjoyed this parody of Larsson's writing.
Apostrophe catastrophe! Love it! You could paint a set of "grocer's quotes" around the entire phrase to signal that you've put it up as an ironic statement.
ReplyDeleteUh, should that be "grocers' quotes"?
Apostrophe errors are a big pet peeve of a good friend of mine. Did you know there were lots of websites and blogs dedicated to it? Here is one of her favorites:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.apostropheabuse.com/
Hope you feel better soon. Both my daughter and I had bronchitis about a month ago. No fun.
That particular error drives me nuts (NOT nut's!)
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should get another plaque that says: [sic]
I'm often guilty of inappropriate apostrophes or the lack of an apostropre. I was going to post yesterday, when you were under the weather. I picked that book up while traveling and finished it a couple of weeks ago. I haven't read the previous books, but he filled in the backgrounds so well, I'm not feeling the need read them.
ReplyDeleteI would have posted a comment but I was a bit blogging challenged yesterday for some reason.
Hope you're feeling better.
If that sign were mine, it would be in the trash; that's how crazy those grammatical errors make me! People are just plain illiterate - don't get me started.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are feeling better today! Really sick is not good:-(
I read that book and didn't feel the need to read either the first or the last ones, but it did pass the time.
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ReplyDelete1. cut the end of the wood between T and apostrophe
ReplyDelete2. cut off the apostrophe from the shorter part
3. rejoin parts with a good glue
4. fill and grind bits of gap between the parts
5. if still visible gap, paint background.
Made a mistake, so I had to post it again.
You would not believe how the innocent little apostrophe is abused in Germany!
Have you read the book Eats, Shoots & Leaves? It's a great book about punctuation. It should be required reading in high school - of course, the teachers would need to read it too!
ReplyDeleteI am starting "Hornet's Nest" today. I just finished 2 really bad books so I am looking forward to one that I think I can count on!
Some people just don't get it about apostrophes! Yes, it deserves to be tossed out. I hope you are on the mend. At least you got some good reading time!
ReplyDeleteExtra apostrophes like that drive me crazy. There are lots of them out there. I'd probably burn the sign too.
ReplyDeletethat is one of my pet peeves, too. what is wrong with people....did they miss school the day everyone learned about apostrophes?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to the parody, that was hilarious.
ReplyDeleteHang onto it until you feel better and then find a way to make it a joke...maybe paint a poison oak leaf on the spot...
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty certain we had that above our front door in Ashland. I was hardly visible from the street... I could be imagining things, though.
ReplyDeleteWhen you meet a fellow with the first name Grant give him the sign. First, cut off the "the" and sand down the edge.
ReplyDeleteGrant can put it above his garage door.
I enjoyed your commentary about the apostrophe abuse AND I enjoyed the link to the parody... I just finished the second book and am looking forward to the third book... all the Scandinavian words are a hoot!
ReplyDelete