The Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) has been traveling around the US on an ambitious Typo Hunt Across America, correcting as many typos as they can.
This March through May, we, sworn members of TEAL, will be taking a road trip around the country to stamp out as many typos as we can find, in public signage and other venues where innocent eyes may be befouled by vile stains on the delicate fabric of our language. We do not blame, nor chastise, the authors of these typos. It is natural for mistakes to occur; everybody will slip now and again. But slowly the once-unassailable foundations of spelling are crumbling, and the time has come for the crisis to be addressed. We believe that only through working together with vigilance and a love of correctness can we achieve the beauty of a typo-free society.
UPDATE: On August 11th Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson of The Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL) plead guilty to conspiracy to vandalize government property at the Grand Canyon National Park. They were sentenced to a year’s probation and banned from National Parks for a year.
via Swissmiss
photos via Jeff Deck
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{ 95 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Guys. I feel your pain. Typos drive me insane as well – I can't help it, I was an English major. Two recent examples from my area (Phoenix, AZ): On Fox News a headline read: “Suspect Arrested in Roberry” and a road sign on the Loop 101 read “Speed Reduce Ahead.” Aaarrgh!! Keep up the good work! ~Suz
Surely, you pompous, half-witted, over-blown fools have SOMETHING better to do with your lives???
Typical fascist dictator wannabees. Instead of probation, you should have gotten jail time for defacing historical property. Property that does NOT belong to you, I might add. Hmm…. I should start my own league: Sterilzation Is A Viable option. And pay your membership a visit. I have every “right” you fascists have in imposing my will upon others. Would you be so kind as to post your addresses and help a fellow fascist out?
You guys are my heroes. Keep it up. You are living my dream of traveling the country with a bucket of white-out and a pocket full of Sharpie markers. To me the worst offences are apostrophe abuse and the demise of adverbs.
I, for one, appreciate the effort of these guys although I think they're going about it all wrong. I hate typos and they are becoming much too frequent in society.
I'll go Dante on this one. You shouldn't reproduce. Now be a bunch of nice little meatheads and go play in traffic.
I don't give care if they want to fix typos. Becoming a criminal and a stupid trespasser and asshole isn't the way to go about fixing anothers' problem. Fucking ASSHOLES. i hope someone else starts a club to go around creating typos to counteract a way to undo all the work you've done.
agravatin as they are typos gramer and puntiation and mispeld werds along with run on sentances all of which go un notised in our sckools as the teechers just keep sendin the under acheevers out into the werld with the expectashun to farther are producktivity is evin worser witch meens that groops like TEAL shood be rekognised and respeckted not repremanded and vilanized how can I becum a member or your organizashun!
In addition to being pompous and insolent, you guys are criminals. Put that on your resume, Beck.
Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs.
I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rgh it pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! if you can raed tihs psas it on !!
It's probably a good thing you guys didn't get prison time for defacing a sign at a national park. An inmate would probably tattoo your forehead and misspell “@$$%^%”.
Typos are accidental mistakes; they are neither true spelling mistakes nor errors in grammar.
Instead of vandalizing property, you should be making tours of schools by helping to educate. Education, not vandalism.
If you ask me, the person responsible for the errors in the sign is the one who should be fined. Come on! Get a dictionary! Learn the difference between plural and possessive. It's NOT that hard! Keep up the good work!
I'm still trying to figure out what point Dante had… Are you not supposed to start a new paragraph when you change ideas? I agree with Steve, please go play in traffic or stick your head in a oven.
I can understand some of what these guys did, but not all of it.
It's not just typos! It's bad grammar, the total absence of capitalization, and an absolute disgregard for proofreading!
I support the mission and applaud the efforts of TEAL, if not the methods.
Yes! I completely agree. The foundations of the English language are crumbling, because people are allowed to use poor grammar and spelling without consequences. I'm not saying punish people, but it's time to institute a basic standard throughout society, from the earliest levels of school to media to public signs in national parks. I, for one, am embarrassed and appalled by the poor spelling and grammar I encounter every day in this country, and have been tempted many many times myself to engage in possibly-illegal activities such as defacing signs. While society in general does need to set the correct example, I think a key strategy is to start placing more emphasis on spelling and grammar in schools. This is not rocket science.
A good friend of mine spots typos and they stop him in his tracks. He does not understand what he's read because of this. I ignore typos, look around them, understand perfectly what I've read, and go on with my life.
That sucks about the fine, but I like your thinking. – rami
The punishment was not nearly harsh enough for these morons damaging historical property. What next, will they chisel missing flaws in the president's faces on Mount Rushmore?
I really want to know what they are going to do with this $3000 the TEAL had to pay as a fine. Are they going to replace the “Historical” sign in the National Park? And if they do, will they replace the sign with the grammar corrections?? I want pictures@!!!!
A second note….
You bloody United Statians should calm the hell down. This talk of fascists and meatheads is going a little overboard.
Relax, your signs are not the be all end all.
Focus on your government fucking up the world :)
Wow. Would that these were the worst criminal offenses committed in this country; for that matter, I fail to understand how they're really even considered criminal. This is a minor case of civil disobedience, as far as I'm concerned. Would you be pissed if someone happened along and pulled a few weeds out of your flowerbed that you missed?
Three question marks? Needless.
They didn't deface anything. They fixed it.
The definition of “deface” is…
1: to mar the appearance of : injure by effacing significant details
2: impair
3 (obsolete): destroy
(from Merriam-Webster)
By definition, what they did was not defacing. They simply corrected some mistakes. If rules of grammar did not exist, we would not be able to communicate. Everyone would be speaking their own individual language.
For those of you who say that correct spelling doesn't matter, I respectfully direct your attention to a recent article on Audrey Hepburn's style in the movie “Breakfast At Tiffany's.” The author rapturously describes her iconic costume and its accessories, including the “black stain gloves.” Excuse me, did he say “black STAIN gloves?” Yes, yes, he did. I devoutly hope he meant “satin,” and that the word “stain” was a typo. Otherwise, I am not sure that “black stain gloves” is a look which I would consider “classic.”
I like the work you do. I might also add that I hate the their/there/they're mistake, the your/you're mistake, and the to/too/two mistake. I would love to see those three eradicated.
I love how the “criminals” (those who approve of TEAL) are very calm and polite, and the “good citizens” are cursing up a storm and calling us fascists. It gives you a good perspective on what kind of people fit in which category.
Hey,
Nice work guys. Hopefully this will help rid the world of those dreaded, utterly moronic typo signs that blister the eyes and numb the brain…
I was delighted to see that both of you now have a federal criminal record. I wish we had Islamic style laws where they would chop off your hands on national television. But since this is the land of law and order, we only give slaps on the hand while being careful not to hurt a single finger nail. Just be rest assured that this is not over.
People were communicating long before any formal rules of grammar existed. You've got it backwards. If people were unable to communicate, the rules of grammar would not exist.
Joo fools shoulda got more punishment dan you did. Any'n dat'd disface and defigure a freak'n historical sign is waaaaaay to fulla demselves. Joo shoulda got a 10,000$ fine man. Bote'a ya. Fun is fun; but mebby next time you tink before ya cross a line like dat. Kinda old for dem kinda mistakes boys.
Anidroccg to crad cniyrrag lcitsiugnis planoissefors at an uemannd, utisreviny in Bsitirh Cibmuloa, and crartnoy to the duoibus cmials of the ueticnd rcraeseh, a slpmie, macinahcel ioisrevnn of ianretnl cretcarahs araepps sneiciffut to csufnoe the eadyrevy oekoolnr.
Read this introductory article on the current state of our understanding of word recognition in humans: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ctfonts/Wor...
Don't be a fool, fool. Read your first definition of deface, that's what they did.
They defaced a piece of public property, a piece of history. Period. They were having a good time and lost sight of what was fun vs. what was self-agrandizing, self-rightous and illeagl. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
They got off easy. Fines should have been heavier.
As a rule, governments all through history have over punished minor revolts in a futile effort to put the fear of God into the greater danger – the overworked, the underpaid, those who truly do have something to fight for and little to lose. The facts of this particular case are almost irrelevant, what they did and what was done to them as a result. What worries me is the loud voices raised in outrage over defacing public property, calling out for jail time and violence in retaliation for…
Misguided use of a Sharpie? Correction of an apostrophic mistake made decades ago?
I would love to hear those same voices raised in outrage at violent words and images scrawled on the side of elementary school buildings in neon spray paint. I would be proud to hear those voices raised in defiance, protesting, fighting against a government that, eight years ago, proved that it doesn't care what we the people want. I would love to hear those voices raised as one against something that actually matters.
How about we take a look at the bigger picture? If we're going to start getting up in arms about a couple of kids playing at national schoolteacher, take it to the ridiculous extent of wondering -Good Lord, what will they do next?-, let's make it a little more paranoid, a little more ridiculous. It is actually possible to do that. Let's say, the public school system is a farce. Text and instant messaging have reduced six-syllable words to three letters. Words like “D'oh” and phrases like “That's hot” have been inducted into the dictionary. It all contributes to a society that is quickly losing the joy of language. What will our poetry look like in fifty years? How about ten? Five years from now will we be looking at novels written entirely in l33t sp34k? That's horrible enough. But take a more political glance at it, and what do you see? Intelligence and education lead to free thought which leads, almost inevitably, to rebellion against false prophets and despot leaders. Do you think it's a coincidence that our public school system is what it is? Or that the expense of higher education is too great for most American families to even contemplate taking on? And then these boys with their Sharpies go around correcting mistakes and doing a miniscule service to a very quickly down spiraling country, and when their actions are discovered they're arrested and fined an absurd amount of money. And why? If that historical landmark sign was truly as priceless as the big boys in blue are quoted as claiming, they were oddly quick to come up with a dollar amount sufficiently large enough to satisfy their anger.
Why does innocuous graffiti on an ancient sign in a national park matter more and incite more outrage than vulgar graffiti on playground equipment in the park down the street?
Shame on all of us who have allowed, and continue to allow, our country to be overrun by general apathy for the bigger picture and inappropriate, misplaced passion for the inane details.
Grammar won't save us from recession, depression, unfit political leaders, pervasive perversion of ethics and justice, but renewed desire for better education and the ability to acquire it just might. TEAL probably couldn't incite a riot if they wanted or tried to. But maybe someone should. Maybe it's time someone stood up and called the emperor out on his new clothes. We bought this country with blood, pain, and mean hope. Maybe we the people should drop the pettiness and pick up the pitchforks and Molotovs and own it again.
No need for a new club, typoking. All of America is already going around on exactly that quest.
Idiots, the typos give signs character. It is a great part of American history that words, names, and towns have different spellings. It is what this great country was founded upon.
I took a job earlier this as a transport driver. I get paid a certain amount per mile to haul campers across the country. With the cost of fuel and other travel related expenses, I was unable to make a profit and had to call it quits.
Was just wondering what the cost per grammar correction comes to, after you factor in fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, lodging, alcohol, drugs, and the occasional fine for vandalizing historic signs?
Any of this tax deductible?
I to, have a love of correctness, only mine is more a love of socially correct behavior that doesn't attempt to draw attention to my own selfish behavior, while contributing to the waste of a non-renewable fuel that Americans seem to think they have a right to squander.
Go TEAL! I have been known to make my fair share of typos in emails and IM's but when something is written permanently it is a different story.
Though I often text or IM with changes in spelling, I am aware of the mistake. I believe there are far too many who so not.
We must have a set of rules for English because otherwise it will become illegible.
A fine is OK- I understand they had to punish them – But it really is a little extreme.
Someone talked of “cutting off of hands”, or long term in jail.
Both are crazy- Come one people- Let us keep this in perspective.
ALSO- Someone said “don’t you think you could so something better with your time.” Need to get a life themselves.
You need to follow your own passion and let TEAL follow theirs.
.
I don't think the moderators should have approved this (Dante's) message. It ullustrates the damage that can result when weak little minds are fooled by lawyers' invoking such rhetoric as “defacing historical property” to twist an absolutely harmless prank into something bad.
To me, the worst offenders are those who spell “offense” with a c…
I understand TEAL's intent. It still doesn't give them the right to DEFACE (see definition by anonymous below) public or private property!
Maybe she is from Great Britain. Offense would be a misspelled word there.
Typos are accidental. However, government authorities certainly spend enough money that those accidents should be seen and fixed before they become signs. If not, they should replace the sign. These guys are doing the public a service in fixing things that the government has screwed up.
You ROCK! Where do I get a shirt? Typos on public signs infuriate me. There should be fines for companies who use improper grammar/spelling on billboards. Hire a COPY EDITOR. There are many English students/grads who could use the work.
Damaging historical property? First of all, the sign, in and of itself, is not historical property; it's a marker providing information about historical property. Second, correcting something is not damaging it; had they spraypainted cusswords on the sign, I would agree that they deserved punishment. These individuals took pains to correct an error while making a concerted effort to make their work appear as close to the original as they could. Vandalism? Whatever. What was malicious or offensive about what they did?
Fascism, by the way, is state sanctioned; fining these individuals is more of a fascist action than what they did to get fined in the first place.
“Bloody United Stations” ? Now if you don't sound like a Brit with a superior attitude, I don't who does. Just FYI junior, the world was far and away thouroughly fucked up all by its self long before our involvement. If you are from the UK, let me point out that the vaunted British Empire ran roughshod over much of the world, for a very long time, back in the day.
We watch the news here too, and it would seem the UK has plenty of problems of its own right in the homeland. So if thats your home turf junior, clean up your own mess before shooting off your self-righteous mouth.
Well, this is hilarious, I didn't know such a group existed; but too bad they are now considered criminals. If people putting up signs had taken the extra few minutes out of their lives to check out spellings, punctuation, etc, none of this would have to happen. And please let's educate people regarding proper use of “its” and “it's”, sheesh.
Some of my favourite signs are:
“Everything on the rack – $5.00.” Okay, I'll give you $5.00 and you can please give me everything on that rack.
The good ol' “0.20″ with a cent sign after it. Yeah, I'll give you a penny for that item and you can give me change.
“Everything in the store – $1.00.” Wow, wait till I go rent a truck – I'll be back to collect your entire inventory.
“Condos starting at $225.” Well, wow. If you're too darned lazy to add the comma and three zeros, too bad, I'm coming down there with a lawyer to purchase two of those condos. False advertising?
Keep up the good work!!
And it's because of this that our country is becoming an idiocracy. I, too, like to correct spelling and grammar mistakes on signs. What I've found is that the people who have a problem with the corrections are the same ones who didn't pay enough enough attention in school to learn it themselves! Go rent the movie Idiocracy. You would fit well in it.
I am sorry for those of you whose grasp on the world and your language is so tenuous that it crumbles with a spelling mistake. But trust me: English is not in danger of being destroyed; it's far tougher and more resilient than people like those who wrote TEAL's manifesto believe. Especially will it survive bad spelling. (It has before – look at the 17 and 18th centuries.)
As for those who believe messing up an historic sign is somehow not defacing it, shall we send art students into all the museums to correct the Old Masters' faulty grasp of anatomy, perspective, and historical accuracy? (Jesus and Mary dressed in medieval clothes? Horses running with both hind legs on the ground?)
I don't think these guys should go to jail. But I do think they should pay to have the sign restored. And I don't want them anywhere near a museum with historic documents in it – the Declaration and Constitution have some pretty idiosyncratic commas in them, after all.
i'z been in skool at dartmouth for sicks yeers now and i aint no spellin genus, so i shur is thankfull you guys be fixin all them misspelt sines.
The National Park Service has long been protective of its spelling errors. Many years ago when I visited the lighthouse at Cape Hatteras, a sign there explained that the lamp in it was designed by a Frenchman named “Fresnal”. In the visitor comment book I wrote, in pencil, that the correct spelling of his famous name is “Fresnel”. A few minutes later I saw one of the Rangers vigorously erasing my words! Of course, when she turned away I put my comment in again, this time in ink, so she would have to rip out the page to expunge my comment. This event was long before the W administration with its ongoing efforts to change “facts”.
The fine and banishment for correcting your old sign make a travesty of justice, the sort of act that might be expected in China, not America.
Graffiti artists feel they have some right to deface public and private property. Large cities spends millions of dollars try to restore signs and buildings and walls that have been vandalized by these hoods. Try using a public restroom that hasn't got XIV (Northern Chicanos) or XIII (Southern Chicanos) carved into the mirror or marked all over the bathroom stalls. It is impossible.
There are all sorts of people who feel they have some right to alter other people's property. Does that give the rest of us the right to walk up to others we don't approve of and cut their hair or spray them with deodorant or remove some of their unsightly nose and tongue and face rings and studs? I mean, they smell like that never wash.
So why is it the people who have earned very little in their lives and look down upon anyone who has made a good living, are always the ones defending this type of behavior as though it is merely civil disobedience or part of some revolutionary attitude that will make the country stronger. These guys are standard issue losers wanting their 15 minutes. Someone identical to them will be in the news tomorrow for throwing a pie in someones face at a press conference or chaining themselves to a bulldozer, or spray-painting their cause on an SUV or Animal lab just before they set it on fire.
Just take a quick glance at Deck's photos of his cross-country trip. What an utter waste of time and money. What's 10,000 miles of driving cost in gas these days? All that just to take pictures of menus and street and business signs? It's no wonder Americans are seen as wasteful and living such frivolous lives.
Thank you, brave brethren, for fighting the good fight. Many of us have fantasized about doing what you have done. There's nothing patriotic about poor punctuation; keep on holding us to a higher standard!
I agree with Pheas. And I hope that there are follow-up stories via AP when/if the original National Park sign gets permanently corrected.
Is this in Welsh? I know it's supposed to be understandable, but the first sentence is completely gibberish even just reading normally!
Er… The “Government Sign” they “Corrected” was a historical hand painted sign by the builder of the lodge it was in. Which is why it stepped over the line from good natured correction, to asshat vandalism.
Embarrassingly pathetic. So you never need a spell checker? Sad beyond compare. Are you really that inadequate? Please just leave people alone.
Could TEAL please go change all of the “Watch For Falling Rocks” signs to “Watch For Fallen Rocks”? Thank you.
Scott, Jeff, let's flip a coin. Heads, you go back on the road with your sharpie. Tails, you return to dropping acid and chasing butterflies through the woods.
Hard to say which is more productive.
First off, a typo, spelling, or grammar error reveals something about the author. Who are we to hide that tidbit of truth by our self-appointed typo police? And if the document happens to belong to the ages, to 'correct' it is absurd.
If one were to obtain a verified authentic letter from from, say. George Washington, would it be in anyone's best interests to 'correct' the typos that might be found? Gimmie a break!
Finally, the vandals were prosecuted because they were far too stupid not to be prosecuted. They were so stupid, they bragged about their vandalism on the Internet! Apparently, they were so stupid that they failed to realize that what they had done was criminal.
Here's some advice: The next time you come across some typo, spelling, or grammar error, find the rightful owner/custodian of the document or signage. Point out the error to THEM and politely offer to correct the error. If they decline your offer, go away and don't bother them again. Christ! What ever happened to manners?
There is a store in Utah with a large sign right along I-15: Boat's R Us. It's been grating on my nerves for years!
I love the quest for excellence! While I do not support vandalism, our culture has accepted mediocrity for too long. I understand the need to take a stand! Perhaps this will inspire some people to use spell check.
Did anyone see the message placed on TEAL's homepage? It reads: “Statement on the signage of our National Parks and public lands to come”. As you can see from my quotes and where I placed the period, they neglected to add a period at the end of their sentence. Great job Jeff Deck! In the words of George Thorogood and The Destroyers, “Get a Haircut and Get a Real Job!”
How about the its/it's mistake? That one really boils my vinegar.
Yes, but education is so much less fun… take it to the streets, boys!
“stick your head in a oven.”
Ha!! “A” oven?! No wonder you don't understand all of it.
I love irony! :-D
I recommend that typo-eradicators read Manning's Key of Libberty. (If you google that exact spelling you will find it almost instantly, on line.) Mr. Manning's ideas run far ahead of his spelling. The book contains sufficient errors to occupy typo-eradicators profitably for quite a while.
Did you proofread your post? Disgregard? Come on…typos are normal, they happen to everybody and proofreading isn't always necessary in every day life. I agree that it's ridiculous on printed signs, though.
me grammah iz flawlezz,
Sorry wrong country. Brits aren't the only ones think policing the globe is a bad idea. Your entire rant bothers me little. United Statians (Not Stations) is quickly becoming your new name; as the rest of North and South America doesn't want to be associated with “Americans”.
Not that any of your reply or mine has to do with this topic. But I still want to see pictures of the new sign replacement.
Canadian even.
Yeah, the fine should have been bigger. Maybe you guys can open up a comma clinic, or an apostrophe affliction center, instead of wasting gas and money on pointless efforts to prove that you know a few grammar rules. Better yet, you can go to Assholes Anonymous and get a life.
That's going to be hard to do with a Sharpie. Overreact much?
A little defensive, ed?
You could just as well have kept quiet and minded your own business if you don't share a respect for the English language and aren't interested in making efforts to improve literacy.
I could not agree with you more. It is SO frustrating that basic English language skills somehow just don't seem to be important.
I am so glad that TEAL exists. I've been in love with English since high school. I know that most don't feel so strongly, but I never knew there were so many who felt strongly enough to go to such effort.
And you? ClubQBall, writing such a thing just makes you look stupid, because if you feel that way, what the hell are YOU doing posting on this site?
Yes! Yes, there are.
Things do seem to be getting a little out of hand here on this site. We're getting a little off topic. Let's not be distracted by those who get defensive and/or insulted by the idea of using proper grammar. … Let's stay on task. By making sure things are correct whenever & wherever possible, we'll be subliminally educating them whether they like it or not!
I was just watching an “ARC” commercial, they were advertising a store on Bowels (Bowles) and Wadsworth. Bowels, as in bowel movement?
The members of TEAL are my new heroes! Everyone who posted negative comments here can duck my sick. Seriously.
You guys are the BEST!!!! I am a junior high English teacher, so, needless to say, I see errors everywhere! I have seen so many signs around that I would just LOVE to go fix but never had the courage. I’m glad there are still people out there who really do care about using correct grammar and spelling! Your English teachers should be very proud!!!!!!!
Kudos to Jeff and Benjamin. My eighth grade English teacher, back in 1950 was the last person I knew who loved the English language enough to conjugate a verb correctly. We need more like her.
don’t say you’re done – when you’re finished
don’t say as well when you’ve already said too or and.
don’t say I seen – when you should say I saw.
don’t say taller (etc.) than me – it’s taller than I (am).
don’t say me and Joe – when it’s Joe and I….
and please STOP saying actually…. it isn’t needed unless
you are explaining that something is actual and not fake.
Wow – I can’t believe all of the hysterical, negative comments on here. Fascism?? Seriously. Why are people so darn serious about this stuff? I pity their families. :)
Around here (Nebraska) there is a grocery store chain called ‘Russ’s’. AAACK! There are about six of them in town, and ‘Russ’s’ is printed in huge signs on the fronts and throughout the store, on fliers, etc. It’s insane! Unfortunately, if they spelled it the way it should be spelled (Russ’), people probably wouldn’t know how to pronounce it.
Keep up the great work, guys!
One of my pet peeves is spelling errors! It drives me nuts! Just the other day on the local news was a story about Hillary Clinton going abroad, yet it was spelled “aboard” on the screen. A mind is a terrible thing to waste…
I just learned of your organization and applaud your work! As a community college writing instructor, I have been on a similar mission for several years, sharing my escapades with students each semester. Yes, I, too, have been guilty of “defacing” public property, for example to correct nonparallel structure on restroom signs to read “Men’s” and “Women’s” instead of “Men’s” and “Ladies’.” Of course, I generally arrange a “lookout” for such activities. However, I don’t have to travel outside my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, to find plenty of signs to fix. Any misspelled sign I can easily reach, I fix, especially homemade ones. “Fried green tomatoe’s” on the marquee of Calhoun’s, a local barbecue restaurant, was corrected by staff after I pointed out the error and requested a change. Anyway, to name such errors as “typos” is very kind of you.
Check out Joe Roots Grill in Erie, PA
You are being too kind, calling these blatant misspellings “typos.” Typos are legitimate, the result of fingers going faster than mind, or slower, or vice versa! The quality of the educational system in this country has certainly gone south. When Spelling was eliminated as an actual subject, and they stopped diagramming sentences (absolutely the best way to grasp grammar and structure), irreparable damage was done. My boss is a lawyer, an ND grad. He uses incorrect grammar continually. Both his and my reference initials are on correspondence. I know better, so I correct what is needed and take pride in knowing I was taught, and learned, well.
I must say, the idea that a group with aspirations such as TEAL’s even exists is hilarious to me! I am one of “those people” that can’t focus on anything but the typo when typo’s exist. Silly? Maybe. I certainly get teased for it often enough.
This thing has been blown way out of proportion, though. Yes, they changed something historical (by accident, I might add), and I think the fines are appropriate. Jail time? “Cut off their hands”? Wow, guys. Now THAT is what I call silly!
It’s amazing to me how heated people can get over this “to fix or not to fix” typographical errors subject. Why? Don’t you people have anything more important to spend time on? If the guys of TEAL feel their time is best spent ridding the world of those incredibly annoying (however accidental) errors, I’m behind them 100%! I don’t fix typos in public places, but I sure have done my share of editing and changing friend’s/coworker’s/family’s mistakes in their writing.
Go TEAL!
BTW, here are a couple that have haunted me for years…
On a HUGE sign in front of a restaurant in Waxahachie, TX: “Don Jose’s Mexicant Restauran”. How did this happen? I don’t understand it either.
On a sign in the dining room of CiCi’s Pizza in Cedar Hill, TX: “Floors slippery when wet.” Excuse me? As in, the floor IS slippery (with an apostrophe), or all your multiple floors are slippery? I’m going to need some clarification.
I read the article about your organization in “Readers’ Digest”. Thank you so much for making people aware of these problems. Years ago I had requested that it might be a good project for an advanced English class to edit (either before or after the fact) local newspaper articles and local announcers. My request was politelyl declined.
Please keep up the good work. If I can help in any way, please let me know.
Just saw the write-up about your crusade in the Reader’s Digest. Keep up the good work! I too am a fanatic about grammar, punctuation etc.
I’d sure love to work for an organization that defends the American language. (Well, in one sense I do, since I work in a library).
It’s a good thing that you learned a lesson about vandalizing though. We all learn the hard way at times. Too bad the true vandalizers (graffiti non-artists) don’t get caught!
Keep up the good work,
Mad-E
@ Graham R. and laurajean:
When two self-appointed “grammar Nazis” take it upon themselves to publicly display their own sense of over-blown importance and pomposity as they toddle about, clothed in their cloaks of deluded self-importance and self-righteousness, with nothing better to do than to act in a supercilious and condescending manner, then yes, I WILL post my opinion and I WILL use whatever punctuation as I see fit.
Your point would be … what? Please, I ask each of you to explain it to me.
First, however, I ask of you both to permit me an opportunity shed some light on the matter by explaining MY views:
It is MY choice – mine and mine alone – to make (with regards to my opinions, thoughts, council, and method of explaining such) as these are MY words and thoughts. Were someone to come along and tamper with or meddle in MY business, I would treat them in a befitting manner.
It would be my guess that both of you are dismayed and quite embarrassed by my obviously superior abilities when it comes to expressing my thoughts. I would thank you kindly to refrain from making yourselves look even more foolish than you appear at the present time … especially you, laurajean.
Now, having resolved the issue, I wish you both every joy and happiness. Thank you for your time and attention.
I just want to add my two cents to the discussion. I totally support the correction of mistakes, but I agree with the person who suggested that the error be brought to the attention of someone in charge who can make the appropriate change. I have been known to make corrections on hand-lettered signs I see in various public spaces, but if the mistake is on something printed (menu, instructions, etc.) I just point it out to someone.
Love your work, keep it up. I have a pet peeve also. I cringe every time I hear 2009 pronounced two thousand and nine. Where’s the decimal? Most of these people have college degrees. Do they think they are so smart that they can’t be wrong? Point is, how can we fix it?
Two wrongs don’t make a right.