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!
Becoming Cliche 
I’m feeling nauseous. Where is my red pen?! Or rather, my can of red spray paint?
I KNOW! I feel the need to rent a cherry-picker.
That’s ridiculous! How could they get it right the first time, but not the second? It’s so obvious?! D:
It hurts! It hurts! I know that every time the copy editor drives by that sign, they want to hurl!
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.
Haha! Logic inclines me to believe the latter…
YES! MAKE IT STOP! (That IS painful and nauseating to have to look at!)
I know. It hurts so badly!
One of today’s freshly pressed posts (not naming any names) says “your” rather than “you’re” FOUR TIMES! Infuriariting!
Unfortunately, that happens quite frequently. “We will ask you to correct any typos before being Freshly Pressed,” my heinie.
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!
What? You want proper grammar? Crazy dreamer.
I know. It is too much to hope.
It is painful. Here’s a great comic about it on the Oatmeal: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling
Thanks for sharing! That was really good!
That’s pretty funny! 😀
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
I know. It’s glaring. I swear I nearly ran off the road when I saw it.
You need to just climb up there and fix it – for all of us 🙂
Calling Public Works to borrow a cherry picker. May steal one if I have to.
I’m with you! Join me, won’t you, in the ranks of the Word Police! http://wp.me/p1se8R-Pb
For me, this is akin to nails on a chalkboard. Unbelievable!
I know. Nails on chalkboard, cat hair in my pizza. Everything that brings me to screeching, hurling horror.
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.
I knew I would make a mistake in that comment! LOL.
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.
I am sure that it’s just the hill-folk that struggle with the spelling and the diction and such.
Sad, sad day…
The saddest. Or sadist. Maybe someone did it on purpose. Maybe if I point it out to them, I win!
I was THIS close to emailing you that you spelled that wrong. Phew! You saved the day!
I know! I’m scared I may lose readers over it!
Ouch. Signs like that make my teeth itch.
I cringe every time I look at it. Every single time.
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.
If someone didn’t hit him or her in the face, I am willing to step up…
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.
Maybe their contractions were 10 minutes apart, and it took them only 9 minutes to put up the sign?
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.
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.
I do keep hoping that they are coming back to complete their thought. Maybe…
My eyes…my eyes!! :O
I’m so sorry! Next time, I’ll provide some protective eye wear. It’s the least I can do!
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!
Maybe it is…
Painful… yet still entertaining for those not personally involved. Lol 🙂
It’s just a bad slogan that they tried to make better by not having the exact same word in it twice. FAIL!
That’s the other almost-acceptable excuse. I feel marginally better now.
someone PLEASE get out a can of spray paint and fix it!
I feel the need!
It is football. Grammer is optional. 🙂
That’s just *this* close to a reasonable explanation. I’ll TAKE it!
Misplacd ellipses! Your for you’re! Now all they need to do is mistake pray for prey and we’ll reach the trifecta!
It’s sort of in the Bible belt, so I’m not sure how they missed it!
Reblogged this on bookglider.
UGH! I can’t believe you were able to control the car. This kind of thing is just…AaUGH !
It was nothing short of a miracle!
Nooooooo…
You just can’t click the “like” button on something so tragic. Sorry 😦
I completely understand. It’s painful.
You say your prey, I say my prey, let’s call the whole thing off.
Just awful. I am glad to hear you didn’t crash upon viewing this atrocity…
It was a close call, really.
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.
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.
I do what I can to maintain peace and harmony.
That’s pretty sad!
And they even got the first “you’re” right. Ick.
Boggles the mind, doesn’t it?
Your write. This is a total mess. There mistake is an affront to those of us with good grammer skills.
Best comment ever!
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.
I may have screamed a little when I read your comment. “Gooder?” Oh, Lord!
My coworker and I have this discussion each time an email comes through with grammar errors. We work at a LIBRARY. Whyyyyy?
Yeah!
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
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!