I was looking at a sign at one of the local Jack in the Box restaurants the other day. The sign boasted an offering of breakfast "Day or Nite."
I hate it when "night" is misspelled that way.
Then I thought, "Did they spell it that way to be cute? Or did someone do it because they really think it's spelled that way?" So, now I'm not sure how I should take it: were they trying to be clever, or are they really ignorant? Should I be filled with mirth or pity?
I wonder what they really get out of spelling it incorrectly. Besides reinforcing the great ignorance of the English language that is already so prevalent in our society and ensuring that other ignoramuses pick up on it and begin spelling it that way, they only saved themselves the cost of printing one extra letter.
"Nite" is four letters. "Night" is five. You can swap the "e" in the former for the "g" in the latter and buy an "h". Maybe they would even save a buck or two by not purchasing that "e" in the first place. Everyone knows that buying a vowel costs more than a consonant.
This is the same kind of consternation I experience when I go through (not "thru") the "10 Items or Less" lane at the super market. Ten items or LESS? It should be "Ten items or FEWER"!
Writers have a hard time going out.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Tormented writer
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3 comments:
Tormented writer?
Dude-you're reading Nite not writing Nite.
And are you filled with this same outrage when checking out at Sam's Club and being forced to read Nikole, Jasson or Marri's nametag?
And speaking for the ignoramuses, "thru" is much more safe as "through" is easily misspelled as thought--yes, this can indeed cause some harm...
For myself, it's the misuse of "myself" that makes me want to pull out my revolver.
What about the there, their, they're conundrum? How do you reconcile that? Why fite?
Chris
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