Category: Grammar - Reading the Signs

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Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em

15/3/2015

Ten days ago, I was convinced that Eason’s had erred in their signage in their shop window.

Every day since, I have spotted other shops who agree with Easons.

I had understood that today was a day for all mothers and so assumed it was “Mothers’ Day” – but seemingly not.

Wikipedia advises that it was intended the day should be for each family to celebrate its own mother and so ‘Mother’s Day’.

But it still appears grammatically incorrect to me.

‘In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association. She specifically noted that "Mother's" should "be a singular possessive, for each family to honor its mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers of the world."’

Wikipedia

I see that Hallmark still continue to take issue with the use of an apostrophe. Castle Jewellers has a similar condition.

Discrimination in Dingle

26/2/2015

The owners of the shop, Finn McCool’s, thought that they were deserving of an apostrophe.

They also granted an apostrophe to ‘men’.

‘Ladies’ were not so honoured.

If you know why, you know more than me……..

You might also know why the extra ‘l’ in ‘apparel’…..

More Medical Negligence

19/2/2015

Last Friday was the 13th. Not a day some may select to visit a medical consultant but it was the day that the consultant chose to see me.

Trying to Work Out EBS

17/2/2015

I spotted this sign at the weekend and was planning a blog pondering what EBS were asking me to ‘work out’ (as in resolve).

“workout noun a session of physical exercise or training. See also work out (sense 2) at work.”

Chambers Dictionary

“work out 1 to be successfully achieved or resolved • It'll all work out in the end. 2 to perform a set of energetic physical exercises • She's working out at the gym. See also workout.”

Chambers Dictionary

However, I have now learnt that ‘work out’ and ‘workout’ are interchangeable when referring to resolving or calculating. I am not sure if I know of any other word that can be split in two and retain the same meaning. (Note Collins insist on there being a hyphen as ‘work-out’)

It could be argued that the interchangeability is restricted to use as a verb and so EBS’s use is suspect but one would need a more qualified judge than yours truly for that.

If only I could communicate in numbers.

15/2/2015

No Such Thing as Bad Publicity - Chapter 23

My mind is mathematically trained.

What is right is always right. What is wrong is always wrong. There is little room for exceptions .

Yesterday, I waffled on about anomalies and exceptions in the use of Irish. Later, I spotted this new van with sign-writing that didn’t sit right with me.

For Those You Mind Children

5/2/2015

Paediatric First Aid for those you mind children

There I was enjoying my coffee the other morning. For some distraction, I read through the leaflet of Evening Classes commencing soon at Mallow College of Further Education.

I did not see any course for proofreading – I suspect that there is at least one possible candidate for such a course.

Galway Volunteers

30/12/2014

This Volunteer station is in the entrance foyer at Galway University Hospital.

A number of thoughts came to mind:

Why are there two chairs for one volunteer?

The location of the sign could not be in very many more prominent locations – as one enters the main hospital block.

I hope that the hospital is more concerned with their medical treatment than their spelling, but should they not be accurate in both?

Incorrect

14/12/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity – Chapter 20

I had thought that there was a difference between the use of ‘right’ and ‘correct’.

This van in Ennis prompted some online research.

I was not right – they are interchangeable.

Fire Specialsist

10/12/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity – Chapter 19

My recollections from the English classes in school was that there ought to be only one ‘and’ in a sentence, or a clause. Be that right or wrong, it is the rule that has been complied with hereabouts – other than that riddle.

This Firecrest van did cause me to assess whether the rule in my head had any solid basis.

I suspect that Firecrest intended to convey a message that they were experts in Fire & Gas Detection; and, Process C.C.T.V. – but to my reading they are advertising as specialists in Fire, not Fire Detection.

As for the number of ‘ands’, the internet suggests that my rule does not appear to be founded on the strongest foundations.

It is also not a rule to which Ernest Hemmingway adhered.

"I said, 'Who killed him?' and he said 'I don't know who killed him, but he's dead all right,' and it was dark and there was water standing in the street and no lights or windows broke and boats all up in the town and trees blown down and everything all blown and I got a skiff and went out and found my boat where I had her inside Mango Key and she was right only she was full of water." Ernest Hemingway, After the Storm

Using Protection

23/10/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity – Chapter 12

When I read the sign on the van, it didn’t look right and it didn’t sound right. It still doesn’t.

The Health & Safety Authority uses the term ‘Personal Protective Equipment’ – as does Wikipedia, the Health & Safety Executive in the United Kingdom, and even Centres for Disease Control & Prevention in their recent Ebola notices.

When one asks Google with regard to “Personal Protection Equipment”, one is asked in return ‘Did you mean: "Personal Protective Equipment"’.

The M J Scannell website describes them as specialising in Personal Protection Equipment – so maybe it is ok to have two consecutive nouns.

After all it is used for ‘protection money’…….

“protection noun 1 the action of protecting or condition of being protected; shelter, refuge, cover, safety or care. 2 something that protects. 3 (also protectionism) the system of protecting home industries against foreign competition by taxing imports. 4 colloq a the criminal practice of extorting money from shop-owners, etc in return for leaving their premises unharmed; b (also protection money) the money extorted in this way. 5 insurance cover. protectionist noun.”

Chambers Dictionary

An Irish Day

22/10/2014

No Such Thing As Bad Publicity – Ch. 11

Today is further proof that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing………..and that I have too much time on my hands.

While enjoying my coffee at the weekend, I had to run out to photograph the coach.

DAILY: At first, I did wonder why they did not use ‘daily’ but then I thought that the tours did not happen every day and so that this may be misleading

BUT…… Chambers Dictionary also defines DAILY as ‘relating to a single day’. After some deliberation over the remainder of my coffee, I became convinced that as they must have spent some time thinking of the words to place on the coach, the selection was considered and deliberate so there had to be a reason why they used the word ‘DAY’, and then I had my Eureka moment.

The wanted to make sure that any potential customer was fully aware that the tour was for an ‘Irish Day’ as opposed to an ‘English Day’, a ‘French Day’ or even ‘an American Day’.

Whatever day you are having yourself, have a good one.

“daily adj 1 happening, appearing, etc every day, or every day except Sunday, or now often every day except Saturday and Sunday. 2 relating to a single day. adverb every day; every weekday. noun (dailies) 1 a newspaper published every day except Sunday. 2 colloq a person, usually a woman, who is paid to come in and clean and tidy a house regularly, but not necessarily every day. 3 (dailies) cinematog the rushes.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon dæglic.”

Chambers Dictionary

It's Polish

18/9/2014

Of late, I have noted a number of vans with the operator’s/driver’s name on the side – regularly it is stated as a self-employed franchisee.

Today in Patrick St., I spotted another with an interesting addition or qualification.

Maybe the brackets were added to distinguish from the West Cork branch of the Okroj family.

Or maybe to explain the missing apostrophe.

Or maybe not…..

Half Baked Marketing

2/8/2014

When Micko forwarded this photo to me, I was reminded of the difference between ‘Irish Smoked Salmon’ and ‘Smoked Irish Salmon’.

Using the same logic, it would appear that Supervalu in Merchant’s Quay are trying their best to promote food poisoning………

Quality Control at Debenhams

14/6/2014

Debenhams Retail
(Ireland) Limited

Trading as Debenhams.
Registered in Ireland. Company no. 239481
Registered office: 54-62, Henry street, Dublin 1

For your security this store is
Covered by close circuit
Television 24 hours a say

The system is operated by Debenhams ltd.
For more information, contact
1890 946779 and ask for the
Duty Manager for the relevant store.

While Mrs. MM went shopping for lipstick yesterday, I got distracted by this notice. I was surprised by how many queries could be raised from one short notice:

Should these words not begin with Capital Letters?

Should these words not begin with lower-case letters?

You have stated who Debenhams Retail (Ireland) Ltd is but who is Debenhems Ltd.?

If the CCTV is for customer security, and not primarily for theft control, why is it on 24 hours a day, especially when the store is closed and no customer to be protected?

No Such Thing as Bad Publicity - Chapter 6

17/4/2014

Breaking The Mould....

'...THE FIRST COMPANY OF IT'S TYPE..'

This sign would probably not get any (very limited) publicity through this site without the spelling anomaly. The misplaced apostrophe would probably have brought a smile but not a blog entry.

I suppose an argument could be raised that they are targeting both European mould and North American mold……