O, waily, waily…for woe is the state of the English language from one end of my fair state to the next. Or at least from the middle to the far end. Yes, friends, Romans, compatriots — it’s time once again for that annoying English major tribute, the Most Egregious Misuse, Report!
Yesterday’s M.E.M. was spotted on Highway 101, near Gilroy. It was a professionally done sign for a fruit/veg stand that sold cherries and garlic — apparently an unbeatable combination. (Ew.) The sign read, Fresh Cherries: Get ‘um now.
Um?
So, apparently ‘them’ is now spelled thum?
I won’t dwell on that, lest I am accused yet again of unfair umbrage against cherry growers — and anyway, it it today’s M.E.M. that gives my heart the most joy. This one I found only an hour ago… at Her Britannic Majesty’s Government Consular Enquiries section, on Wilshire Blvd.. Yes. You read that correctly. In the inner offices of the King’s English, there is a sign:
Courier’s, please dial 2937 for entry.
Hah! Colonist that I am, I know how to use an apostrophe.
Kidding aside, I am thrilled to have been “dear”ed and “love”d all day by the staff at the UK Visa office here in L.A. (imagine if that happened at, say, the DMV!?), and I am done, done, done with all that paperwork (for the moment)! Now after my second shower of the day (Ah, Los Angeles — it coats the skin and clogs the pores to be sure you don’t forget where you are), I am ready to sit down and get to work on finishing up what we’re doing for tomorrow’s SCBWI presentation on blogging the kidlitosphere. ‘Having Our Say’ is the title of our presentation, and we honestly plan to do so! So many of you have blogged intelligently about not only YA books, but the publishing process, their authors, and you have recommended great titles for all kinds of populations. We are proud (and okay – I am a little nervous) to represent you. Maybe next year, YOU can represent the rest of us.
And now, to work!
I just have to add another completely egregious misuse, one that I keep forgetting to put up: here in the Modesto area (and apparently around California and B.C.) there is a chain of pizza restaurants (which I have never been to, thank you very much) by the name of Me-n-Ed’s Pizzeria. Seriously. It’s just so wrong. It even drives my husband nuts, and normally he pokes gentle fun at me for noticing those kinds of things.