Cork - August 2020
There can be benefits of proof-reading.
It helps avoid confusion with a swell as well.
It helps avoid confusion with a swell as well.
“Words are in dictionaries because they exist – they do not exist because they are in dictionaries” Máire Nic Mhaoláin
I have used the above quotation in more than a few previous blog posts when I have come across a word and wondered as to its use and origin. ‘Roastery’ is the latest word that appears to have a campaign for inclusion in a dictionary because it is in use. Macmillan Dictionary, Chambers Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary all do not have an entry for the word ‘Roastery’. Cambridge Dictionary and Collins Dictionary appears ahead of its rivals and advises that a ‘Roastery’ is a place where coffee beans are roasted.
Tuesday or Thursday – or Both 
 It is not often that I get my religion in a Supermarket. I have never before spotted it in the frozen food section of a Centra. A pizza made by the Fellows of God – and a reduced price on last Sunday.
 The entrance may very well be concealed.
The spelling issue is not as difficult to spot. Many thanks to PF who snapped this on Sundays Well Road and forwarded a few weeks back.  The old expression of management types came to mind when I spotted some temporary signs in Clonakilty today. It may just be that there are no proof-readers in Clonakilty either …..   Very many thanks to KH for forwarding the photograph above which was taken at Barleycove, Co. Cork.
It may be that the collapse has already happened and one letter ‘l’ slipped away in the dune slide. Or maybe it is just a proofreading issue.  Just as one does not, most likely, appoint a builder on his ability, or inability, to spell the word ‘extension’, it is probable that in appointing someone to look after one’s garden, one does not care how he spells his trade.
‘Gardner’ has yet to make it into the Chambers Dictionary but has recently made an appearance on the streets of Cork.  Canopies – with a Kinsale accent I remember reading that it was the writer’s responsibility as to spelling. The sub-editor’s responsibility did not extend that far. Last week, I showed a printer of commercial signs some of the errors that gave rise to blog pages hereabout. As well as smiles and even a laugh, I did receive a response that the proof is always sent to the customer to check. Just like builders, dry cleaners and barbers, it is the skill of the seamstress or garment maker rather than their proofreading ability that concerns most…….
 This morning I spotted a tweet about the closing time at the Regional Park in Ballincollig being brought back an hour with the start of September. My Irish vocabulary is not huge but the use of ‘geatí’ did look odd. The web confirmed that it was incorrect – ‘geataí’ being the plural of ‘geata’. In my real life, as opposed to this virtual life, I have spoken with the official translator at Cork County Council, so am aware that she exists, or at least existed. I was very very surprised to read that only a month ago the Irish Examiner revealed that Cork County Council used Google Translate as a translation service – definitely not fit for that purpose I would have thought. The dogs needed a walk this afternoon so we headed to the Powdermills so that I could take my own photograph of ‘Geatí’. Within yards of the closing time sign, there is another notice regarding the locking of the gates. This uses ‘Geataí’ – curiouser and curiouser…..
 I spotted this message a few weeks back. With the door open, it was obvious that some building work was being carried out. Having been in the shop a few times, I knew that English was not the first language of all. I fully understood the message that was intended to be conveyed, but that did not stop me smiling at the actual message. Maybe I have been looking at signs for too long or in too much detail…..   Maybe ‘a’ scarpered at the last emergency and was unable to be reinstated with’a’, ‘r’ and ‘e’. Or maybe not…….  This was on the noticeboard of the city library a few weeks back.  I did wonder as to the survey…..
Whether one of the questions was how to spell ‘P-A-R-T-I-C-I-P-A-T-E’…… Whether one of the objectives was to measure tolerance for spelling and grammatical issues as one aged – may be there is hope for me yet 
 Sunday afforded me the chill out opportunity to visit St. Colman’s Cemetery in Cobh. My search for the headstone carved and engraved by Seamus Murphy was successful.
I stopped my search as I passed this grave. I even paused as to how the word was actually spelled. I pondered the second ‘h’ but remained convinced that there was definitely no ‘a’. Did the engraver, seller, or buyer pause at the spelling? Was it sold cheaply as seller was aware of how to spell ‘Shepherd’? Maybe I need to take more chill-out time and let these spelling issues pass me by – although I suspect that is just the way I was made and will not change. |
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