They refer to themselves as the “Typo Eradication Advancement League”… two young men from Philly, who, with markers at the ready, set off on a 
They called it… “The Great Typo Hunt”. (Title of new book)
For three whole months, a while back, Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson scoured the U.S. in search of signage that cried out for revision!
It was everywhere! Spelling mistakes, poor grammar and improper punctuation… on signs in parks, at stores, gas stations and even public buildings.
While their intentions were good…to educate, and avoid leaving the reader with a poor impression of the person who wrote the sign… most (about 60%) didn’t appreciate their efforts. They viewed Jeff and Ben as a couple of busybody “word nerds”, and on at least one occasion they were threatened with bodily harm!
Surprise, guys… people don’t like to be corrected!
The boys also felt the wrath of the U.S. Government. When at the Grand Canyon, they used a magic marker and white out to dispatch an unnecessary apostrophe on an historic sign! The local D.A. called them “self-proclaimed grammar vigilantes”…. they were slapped with a $3000 fine and told to stay out of National parks for two years!
Now I know that many will applaud these two… those who cringe with every misspelling, suffer twitches and ticks when encountering poor grammar.
Hey, you fought the good fight… but it’s over!
Outside the classroom or maybe a job application, it’s a new world out there! A world of abbreviations and acronyms… Twitter talk… short and to the point. Our attention span has atrophied… and the rules that govern the written word… went that-a-way!
It no longer matters HOW it’s said… as long as you get WHAT is said.
Listen to the The Motts (Paul and Carol) weekdays… 11 til noon.
Tags: humour, spelling mistakes, The Great Typo Hunt, The Motts, Typo Eradication Advancement League, typography