Question for the grammar nazis

hairyprincess · 27-04-2014 08:58PM #1

There is a business that I frequent periodically. They have a few glaringly obvious grammar and spelling mistakes, how do I handle this? Each time I go there my eyes bleed, I can't cope with it anymore.

Question is, should I tell them or not? And how do I do it?

endacl · 27-04-2014 08:59PM

You get over it.

Errare humanum est.

anncoates · 27-04-2014 09:01PM

Is it a burden being so fabulously clever?

27-04-2014 09:02PM

Tell them it's driving away customers

Donkey Oaty · 27-04-2014 09:03PM

They're all just a bunch of ill, educated peasant's.

gg2 · 27-04-2014 09:03PM

No offence to you in particular OP, but any time I see anyone getting all worked up over bad grammar, I can't help but wonder if you seriously have absolutely nothing better to do with life. I think its just because its something I can't really understand and really don't see what the big fuss is about.

If I were you and it annoyed me to this extent, I just wouldn't go there anymore

PaulieC · 27-04-2014 09:03PM

I recent that folk who like correct spelling, punctuation and grammer are called nazi. its not der fault

MadYaker · 27-04-2014 09:03PM

Is it a bar? Drink more and you'll forget about it.

endacl · 27-04-2014 09:04PM

bluewolf wrote: »

Tell them it's driving away customers

No.

Tell them it's driving away customer's.

gg2 · 27-04-2014 09:04PM

anncoates wrote: »

Is it a burden being so fabulously clever?

That is brilliant! I think I may add that to my CV - I am fabulously clever:D

27-04-2014 09:05PM

gg2 wrote: »

No offence to you in particular OP, but any time I see anyone getting all worked up over bad grammar, I can't help but wonder if you seriously have absolutely nothing better to do with life. I think its just because its something I can't really understand and really don't see what the big fuss is about.

If I were you and it annoyed me to this extent, I just wouldn't go there anymore

It looks unprofessional and sloppy
And if they can't get the basics right, what else do they skimp on?

Rosy Posy · 27-04-2014 09:08PM

"...perseverare diabolicum"

Raze the establishment to the ground, op, it's for the greater good.

Arthur Beesley · 27-04-2014 09:10PM

I sit beside a grammar / spelling pedant at work. It gives me great pleasure to catch him out.

gg2 · 27-04-2014 09:12PM

bluewolf wrote: »

It looks unprofessional and sloppy
And if they can't get the basics right, what else do they skimp on?

OP said it was a business she frequents regularly so they must be doing something right.
Personally, it would depend on the type of business, but if it was my local corner shop, or boutique that I liked or a restaurant I enjoyed, I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over it. And I wouldn't be thinking "Oh they spelled that word wrong - I bet its really horse meat they are using!".

OP give us some examples!

27-04-2014 09:14PM

gg2 wrote: »

OP said it was a business she frequents regularly so they must be doing something right.
Personally, it would depend on the type of business, but if it was my local corner shop, or boutique that I liked or a restaurant I enjoyed, I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over it. And I wouldn't be thinking "Oh they spelled that word wrong - I bet its really horse meat they are using!".

OP give us some examples!

Maybe. Still annoying though

There was a pub in a nearby place with a sign up advertising "lunch been served"
I wonder how many people didn't bother going in because it was saying lunch is over

Peregrine · 27-04-2014 09:16PM

Can't be as bad my barber/hairdresser place.

wendell borton · 27-04-2014 09:17PM

I'm a grammar commie, grammar for the people!

hairyprincess · 27-04-2014 09:19PM

bluewolf wrote: »

It looks unprofessional and sloppy
And if they can't get the basics right, what else do they skimp on?

That's exactly it. However they are the only one of it's kind in the area. I would need to travel 45 mins to an hour to get to any other so I don't really have any option but to go there.

Badly Drunk Boy · 27-04-2014 09:19PM

gg2 wrote: »

OP said it was a business she frequents regularly so they must be doing something right.
Personally, it would depend on the type of business, but if it was my local corner shop, or boutique that I liked or a restaurant I enjoyed, I wouldn't get my knickers in a twist over it. And I wouldn't be thinking "Oh they spelled that word wrong - I bet its really horse meat they are using!".

OP give us some examples!

She might still frequent it but the fact that she started this thread indicates that she may be thinking of ending her business with them (but probably not), or that she likes their business and doesn't want them to look unprofessional to others.

hairyprincess · 27-04-2014 09:22PM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

She might still frequent it but the fact that she started this thread indicates that she may be thinking of ending her business with them (but probably not), or that she likes their business and doesn't want them to look unprofessional to others.

I wouldn't be doing it out of nastiness, I'm a helpful kind of person, so it's the unprofessional view that I would be taking. And the fact that the mistakes are very simple makes it more embarrassing for them imo.

The Hill Billy · 27-04-2014 09:23PM

Right them a letter...

Dear Sir/Madam,

The grammar in you're signage is upsetting to customers & there not happy about it.

You're's sincerely,

...

gg2 · 27-04-2014 09:23PM

hairyprincess wrote: »

That's exactly it. However they are the only one of it's kind in the area. I would need to travel 45 mins to an hour to get to any other so I don't really have any option but to go there.

so you are unhappy with their service beyond the grammar and spelling?

endacl · 27-04-2014 09:23PM

bluewolf wrote: »

Maybe. Still annoying though

There was a pub in a nearby place with a sign up advertising "lunch been served"
I wonder how many people didn't bother going in because it was saying lunch is over

There's a pub in Rathfarnham - I won't name it to spare their blushes - that has an off licence business attached. Locals will probably be identify it. Anyway, this pub has, emblazoned across its rear wall in foot-high letters, a sign that reads "wine's from all over the world". This is funny on two levels. Firstly, there's the obvious change to the meaning of the statement, and secondly, there's the fact that the new meaning is even less factually correct than what had been intended in the first place.

Add to this that the sign has been up now for the guts of 20 years.

It's funny, but it doesn't bother me. I wouldn't refuse to go there because of the sign. I'd refuse to go because the pub's a bit crap. That's a story for another thread though...

hairyprincess · 27-04-2014 09:27PM

gg2 wrote: »

so you are unhappy with their service beyond the grammar and spelling?

No I'm not saying that, I'm just saying the option isn't really there. This place is 10 minutes away so it's convenient.

Granted the place an hour away is a better establishment. But I do enough driving as is so this place is grand.

Legs.Eleven · 27-04-2014 09:27PM

Grammar Nazis would go absolutely loo-la if they lived in Madrid. You see really badly translated English everywhere, even on stuff sold in the shops on the packaging. Took a photo a year or so ago of a very typical menu translation in a restaurant here. Hilarious:

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/622363/304738.jpg

27-04-2014 09:28PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Grammar Nazis would go absolutely loo-la if they lived in Madrid. You see really badly translated English everywhere, even on stuff sold in the shops on the packaging. Took a photo a year or so ago of a very typical menu translation in a restaurant here. Hilarious:

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/622363/304738.jpg

Ah that's different though for non native speakers like

HP I would say it to them lightly as a "by the way"

endacl · 27-04-2014 09:31PM

hairyprincess wrote: »

No I'm not saying that, I'm just saying the option isn't really there. This place is 10 minutes away so it's convenient.

Granted the place an hour away is a better establishment. But I do enough driving as is so this place is grand.

*puts on 'grammar nazi' hat*

'This place'?

Are you currently (not presently :mad:) located at, in or near the establishment in question? If not, your grammar is incorrect.

/thread.

HeidiHeidi · 27-04-2014 09:31PM

hairyprincess wrote: »

That's exactly it. However they are the only one of it's kind in the area. I would need to travel 45 mins to an hour to get to any other so I don't really have any option but to go there.

Oh the irony

(I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist)

hairyprincess · 27-04-2014 09:34PM

There are three mistakes in a short paragraph, 5 or 6 lines. One is the use of 'out' instead of 'our' - a simple slip of the finger on the keyboard, I get that, I've done it myself. The second is the misuse of 'there, their' and the third has slipped my mind.
My point is they are simple mistakes that a quick read back or checking with somebody else probably would have shown up. And they would be easy to fix, the wording is on a screen so no big loss of monies on signage/printing.

Hell Ram · 27-04-2014 09:34PM

gg2 wrote: »

No offence to you in particular OP, but any time I see anyone getting all worked up over bad grammar, I can't help but wonder if you seriously have absolutely nothing better to do with life. I think its just because its something I can't really understand and really don't see what the big fuss is about.

If I were you and it annoyed me to this extent, I just wouldn't go there anymore

Not aimed at the OP, but when I find people bang on about grammar I can't help but feel, in most cases, it's to mask a lack of actual intelligence and so simply give the impression to people (and themselves) that they're above average in that respect.

Especially on boards.

If you're running a business though you should really have someone double check it anyway.

shopaholic01 · 27-04-2014 09:34PM

Legs.Eleven wrote: »

Grammar Nazis would go absolutely loo-la if they lived in Madrid. You see really badly translated English everywhere, even on stuff sold in the shops on the packaging. Took a photo a year or so ago of a very typical menu translation in a restaurant here. Hilarious:

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/622363/304738.jpg

I think I'll order the ear to the iron. :pac:

Question for the grammar nazis

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