With apologies to my grammar-loving pals sj,Grngeekgirl, Amy, and Boggleton Drive. I know my title creates an urge to punch someone. Please don’t hurt me. I can’t look at it without screaming, either.
I came across this billboard on a road trip last week. I hurt for the copy editor. This image was everywhere around town. I almost wrecked the car when I saw the first one. Not seeing the difference between “your” and “you’re” in a first draft is not a big deal. Not catching it before it goes to print is just painful. For everyone.
It HURTS! Make it stop!
Transitioning Mom
April 10, 2012 at 9:19 am
I’m feeling nauseous. Where is my red pen?! Or rather, my can of red spray paint?
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 10:57 am
I KNOW! I feel the need to rent a cherry-picker.
Somersaulting Through Life
April 10, 2012 at 9:41 am
That’s ridiculous! How could they get it right the first time, but not the second? It’s so obvious?! D:
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 10:58 am
It hurts! It hurts! I know that every time the copy editor drives by that sign, they want to hurl!
hatzihatzi
April 10, 2012 at 1:00 pm
I was going to ask that too. Maybe there was a fight between two copy editors as to which was right and they decided to compromise. Or they are just extra stupid.
Somersaulting Through Life
April 10, 2012 at 1:06 pm
Haha! Logic inclines me to believe the latter… :/
ktlee
April 10, 2012 at 9:41 am
YES! MAKE IT STOP! (That IS painful and nauseating to have to look at!)
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:01 am
I know. It hurts so badly!
breezyk
April 10, 2012 at 9:41 am
One of today’s freshly pressed posts (not naming any names) says “your” rather than “you’re” FOUR TIMES! Infuriariting!
sj
April 10, 2012 at 9:50 am
Unfortunately, that happens quite frequently. “We will ask you to correct any typos before being Freshly Pressed,” my heinie.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:01 am
It IS annoying. I am glad that I have my very own copy-editor to help me catch homophones and punctuation mishaps before I post!
John
April 10, 2012 at 9:49 am
What? You want proper grammar? Crazy dreamer.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:02 am
I know. It is too much to hope.
Animalcouriers
April 10, 2012 at 9:59 am
It is painful. Here’s a great comic about it on the Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:02 am
Thanks for sharing! That was really good!
Somersaulting Through Life
April 10, 2012 at 1:10 pm
That’s pretty funny!
ceciliag
April 10, 2012 at 10:02 am
Oh I have the same problem, seeing spelling mistakes and is the aprostrophe going out of fashion?. Are there too many twos to make them see the difference. To and Too is my big peeve! That is a pretty big giant sized typo there! c
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:02 am
I know. It’s glaring. I swear I nearly ran off the road when I saw it.
readytochangenow
April 10, 2012 at 10:04 am
You need to just climb up there and fix it – for all of us
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:03 am
Calling Public Works to borrow a cherry picker. May steal one if I have to.
DiatribesAndOvations.com
April 10, 2012 at 10:28 am
I’m with you! Join me, won’t you, in the ranks of the Word Police! http://wp.me/p1se8R-Pb
Jessica
April 10, 2012 at 10:29 am
For me, this is akin to nails on a chalkboard. Unbelievable!
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:03 am
I know. Nails on chalkboard, cat hair in my pizza. Everything that brings me to screeching, hurling horror.
muddledmom
April 10, 2012 at 10:53 am
I’m one of those paid grammar geeks, and my son has picked up on it. It’s fun seeing what my nine-year-old picks up that a paid adult copy editor can’t. He brings books to me all the time pointing out what the copy editors missed.
muddledmom
April 10, 2012 at 10:55 am
I knew I would make a mistake in that comment! LOL.
surroundedbyimbeciles
April 10, 2012 at 11:01 am
Are you sure their ain’t an problem with your I-site? The grammar is bad. The sign being in Tennessee is worse. Glady, some of us know how to write.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:04 am
I am sure that it’s just the hill-folk that struggle with the spelling and the diction and such.
Audrey
April 10, 2012 at 11:23 am
Sad, sad day…
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:56 pm
The saddest. Or sadist. Maybe someone did it on purpose. Maybe if I point it out to them, I win!
Kimberly Pugliano (@GisSilent)
April 10, 2012 at 11:42 am
I was THIS close to emailing you that you spelled that wrong. Phew! You saved the day!
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 11:44 am
I know! I’m scared I may lose readers over it!
lightlycrunchy
April 10, 2012 at 12:18 pm
Ouch. Signs like that make my teeth itch.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:54 pm
I cringe every time I look at it. Every single time.
speaker7
April 10, 2012 at 12:33 pm
Maybe the person painting it thought that football was real and going to hit him/her in the face, and needed to get out of there quick or I should say get out of their quick.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:53 pm
If someone didn’t hit him or her in the face, I am willing to step up…
Rae
April 10, 2012 at 12:35 pm
Ah, contractions. I really don’t get why people have such a hard time with them. I cringed because I got an invitation the other day for a big benefit concert and the front of it said, “Lets rock!” Ugh.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:53 pm
Maybe their contractions were 10 minutes apart, and it took them only 9 minutes to put up the sign?
Tragic Sandwich
April 10, 2012 at 12:55 pm
A few months ago, a local middle school was putting on a production of Julius Caesar. Except that the enormous homemade banners outside the building said they were performing “Julius Ceasar.” And this is supposed to be the good middle school in my area.
lucysfootball
April 10, 2012 at 1:09 pm
I feel like maybe we’re being too harsh. Perhaps it’s just not finished! They’re coming back later to finish it! “If you’re not a hawk…your prey will not be swooped down upon from above!” or “If you’re not a hawk…your prey are not small rodents!” Something like that. It has to be something like that. Otherwise, this makes my brain ache.
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:51 pm
I do keep hoping that they are coming back to complete their thought. Maybe…
jessseeker
April 10, 2012 at 2:06 pm
My eyes…my eyes!! :O
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:51 pm
I’m so sorry! Next time, I’ll provide some protective eye wear. It’s the least I can do!
Sandra Parsons
April 10, 2012 at 7:33 pm
Urgh, as if I wasn’t just nauseous enough yet. And what’s up with all these numpties putting apostrophes in front of a plural s? It’s not rocket science!
becomingcliche
April 10, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Maybe it is…
Chris Sheridan
April 10, 2012 at 8:25 pm
Painful… yet still entertaining for those not personally involved. Lol
ghfool
April 10, 2012 at 8:43 pm
It’s just a bad slogan that they tried to make better by not having the exact same word in it twice. FAIL!
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 6:44 am
That’s the other almost-acceptable excuse. I feel marginally better now.
classicconfusion
April 10, 2012 at 8:51 pm
someone PLEASE get out a can of spray paint and fix it!
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 6:40 am
I feel the need!
2browndawgs
April 10, 2012 at 9:38 pm
It is football. Grammer is optional.
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 6:43 am
That’s just *this* close to a reasonable explanation. I’ll TAKE it!
The Waiting
April 11, 2012 at 12:28 am
Misplacd ellipses! Your for you’re! Now all they need to do is mistake pray for prey and we’ll reach the trifecta!
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 6:42 am
It’s sort of in the Bible belt, so I’m not sure how they missed it!
bookglider
April 11, 2012 at 12:53 am
Reblogged this on bookglider.
Anastasia
April 11, 2012 at 2:59 am
UGH! I can’t believe you were able to control the car. This kind of thing is just…AaUGH !
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 6:41 am
It was nothing short of a miracle!
Kate
April 11, 2012 at 8:37 am
Nooooooo…
You just can’t click the “like” button on something so tragic. Sorry
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 8:55 am
I completely understand. It’s painful.
omawarisan
April 11, 2012 at 10:35 am
You say your prey, I say my prey, let’s call the whole thing off.
christine
April 11, 2012 at 2:26 pm
Just awful. I am glad to hear you didn’t crash upon viewing this atrocity…
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 4:07 pm
It was a close call, really.
christine
April 11, 2012 at 4:19 pm
Of course it was. I hope there weren’t children in the car… had The Kidling been riding along with me, she would have heard something inappropriate for four year-old ears.
Hippie Cahier
April 11, 2012 at 2:51 pm
I saw that same thing in a huge Volvo display at a car show in a major city. I decided on the spot that I would not buy a Volvo in quiet protest. Also, I think it speaks to a lack of attention to detail. Thank you for saying something so I wouldn’t have to punch anyone.
becomingcliche
April 11, 2012 at 4:06 pm
I do what I can to maintain peace and harmony.
bridgetstraub
April 12, 2012 at 2:43 pm
That’s pretty sad!
Bryn
April 13, 2012 at 11:43 am
And they even got the first “you’re” right. Ick.
becomingcliche
April 13, 2012 at 11:44 am
Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
A Side of Rice
April 13, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Your write. This is a total mess. There mistake is an affront to those of us with good grammer skills.
becomingcliche
April 13, 2012 at 1:39 pm
Best comment ever!
Heather C.
June 11, 2012 at 9:12 am
It burns!! Take it away! It’s worse than the radio commercial that uses the word “gooder” here in Indianapolis. I swear, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.
becomingcliche
June 11, 2012 at 1:35 pm
I may have screamed a little when I read your comment. “Gooder?” Oh, Lord!
aliceatwonderland
October 24, 2012 at 10:51 am
My coworker and I have this discussion each time an email comes through with grammar errors. We work at a LIBRARY. Whyyyyy?
notesfromrumbleycottage
October 25, 2012 at 1:40 pm
Yeah!
mango1531
November 1, 2012 at 10:11 am
I’ve been jumping from Billboard post to billboard post on yor blog, and this is the worst billboard in the history of billboards- my eyes are actually bleeding. they are lucky this didn’t cause a massive pile-up on the road. although maybe they could sue it’s so horrible
becomingcliche
November 1, 2012 at 12:29 pm
I did nearly run off the road when I saw one of them. I just couldn’t allow myself to believe that it was real!