10.08.2008

Grievous Grammar

I think I am going to start a new series of posts called "Grievous Grammar". It's really appalling to me how much of it is out there in the world. And I plan to do my part to point it out and "edu-ma-cate" all of you, my faithful readers! Won't we be so smart?

A little background: "Wall Words" are all the rage these days. We just put up our first "wall words" in the boys' room the other day (pictures coming soon) and my other set is on the way (thanks Bruce and Steph!). I have been slow to jump on this bandwagon. Partially because we were moving and I didn't want to have to remove anything and partially because, in my humble opinion, some of the sayings are just beyond cheesy and trite. But, that's just my opinion, mind you. You may, of course, stick whatever you want on your own walls. After all, you have to read it all the time!

Anyway, I was in Kohl's last week and noticed that they are now selling adorable little canisters of wall words. The containers are totally worth the $14.99, if you ask me. As for the sayings--most fall into the "totally cheesy" category. But, I nearly fell over when I saw this "Grievous Grammar" error printed, packaged, and out there for all the world to purchase and hang on the walls of their homes! HELLO!!!!

So.....what's the error?? A bazillion bonus "pandemonium points" to the first person who can identify it. I gave you a hint in my previous post, if you need some help. And, no pressure or anything, but Payton was with me when we squirreled this lovely little canister away to another department so we could photograph it freely for this post, and he was able to immediately identify the error. (All those years of Abeka grammar are actually paying off!)

So, who's first????

10 comments:

Valerie Smallman said...

I'm thinking it should be:

We are the HEROS of our own STORIES.

Jen said...

Ding, Ding, Ding!! You win Valerie (I'm assuming this is Brazil Valerie??!)

However, I do feel compelled to point out that it should be "We are the HEROES of our own stories." It is, after all, a grammar post! :-)

So, what do you plan to do with your bazillion bonus points??? :-)

Jenn said...

She was too fast, but might I also suggest "I am the hero of my own story" if they really are looking for singular.....

Geez, that quote doesn't even SOUND right when you say it out loud!!

Jackson said...

Anxiously awaiting the post of the boys room. huge wall words fan.

Anonymous said...

Okay - I don't even WANT to be the hero of my own story - it would be tragic!!!

I word wall "Home - where your story begins" on our new homes (in hopes of them selling faster if people make a personal connection . . .) I'll have to check out Kohl's selection - sounds cheaper than the Expressions place I get mine =]

p.s - spotted the error also (must toot my own horn)

Valerie Smallman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Valerie Smallman said...

Yes, this is Brazil Valerie.

I can't believe I spelled HEROES incorrectly. It must be because I have never watched the television show. I do know the correct spelling, but seriously, WHY does it have an "e" in it? That is quite irregular, isn't it?

Speaking a second language has made me much more aware of things in English.

I have a bazillion bonus points? WOW! I've never been so rich before!

Love your blog, Jen!

Anonymous said...

"When you teach your son, you teach your son's son."

Kerry said...

*I* think you are quite funny - and perhaps a tad overboard - with your quest to rid the world of improper grammar users :-)
...don't pay too much attention to my posts - I'm sure they are riddled with their fair share of bloopers...
I should add, however, that the glaring errors really bug me, too.
Here is one I saw on the pw message board yesterday: "Are" used repeatedly in the same post instead of "our"

Anonymous said...

I am totally with you! Drives me nuts, too. What is worse is when it invades your own home. My daughter, when a home-schooling sixth grader, had her own blog and she wrote beautiful stories on it with great grammar, proper punctuation, great spelling, and divided into logical paragraphs. ...Then we moved and she transferred to public school and became a cool teenager. Gone is the blog. Now she has "Facebook"...a place where she misspells things on purpose and never writes in complete sentences. It seems if you actually write like you have been well educated, you will look like a total dork (okay...no one says 'dork' these days...showing my 46 years here!)... The point is that it is tragic how we are dumbing down this present generation.