Not just a grammar Nazi, the grammar Nazi. If I spy one stray punctuation mark hiding in an out-of-the-way place or somewhere other than the punctuation (read: concentration) camp, I’m going after it.
I’m very pedantic with punctuation and while I don’t usually point out such penchants for perturbation, I die a little every time I see “it’s” being used as a possessive. Actually, it’s a wonder I’m not dead yet.
I’m not speaking of online slang, cell phone jibjab, that stuff. Oh no, I mean professionally printed signs that aren’t spellchecked, proofread, or even once-overed.
I know, I know, signmakers. I know what you’ll say. You’ll be all “Well we just put what’s on the paper!” and I’ll be all “Well if it looks wrong to you, shouldn’t you double-check it?” It’ll screw your business over if customers go elsewhere or find out and make you remake it, probably free or discounted. However you’ll have many more repeat customers if you do it right.
Other things that kill me:
- Apostrophes used in abbreviations: CD’s, DVD’s, 80’s etc. There’s no missing letter there, nor possession, so..why? On signs where they have only capital letters, I can understand it. Barely. Perchance it might be important to distinguish between CD’S and CDS at an electronics store. Or STDS and STD’S at a clinic.
- “Unnecessary” quotation marks. While I’m writing this, I am “sitting” “in” my “chair” looking down at my “computer screen” all while eating a small “cake”. Sexual innuendo intended.
- Too, many, commas. It slows, your reading, down. Like, a lot. I’ve been guilty of this myself.
- Not enough commas. Itmakesyoursentenceruntogetherlikethisandyourreaderdoesn’tknowwhentotakeabreath.
- Unnecessary bulleted lists. Gasp. Like *this one!*
Should we just totally kill the apostrophe off? (There is a group that wants to but I forgot who)
If you (meaning the one person reading this, hi mom!) have seen my blogroll, you know how I feel.
Apostrophe Abuse und The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks
Recommended much atylmo by!
Somewhat related, I found an Onion Radio News segment that cracked me up:
PS: Yes I know there’s probably some really obscure mistakes in this post, maybe even some not. I’m a grammar Nazi, not the picture of perfection. Irony is fun too.
Shouldn’t the second occurance of ‘grammar Nazi’ be ‘Grammar Nazi’ seeing as you are making a proper noun of it?
And shouldn’t your “occurance” be “occurrence”? Hmm.. actually that’s spelling, not grammar. So nevermind
It’s all in good fun really. Sure it irks me, but as long as it gets the message across, it’s no big deal.
Hmm.. lemme reread that. I don’t see that I tried to make a proper noun out of it, but you’re probably right.
Darn that spell-chicken