Proofreaders wanted!
We’ve said that typos happen. That’s why we don’t identify guilty parties. As always, we laugh not at them but with them. We’ll say it again: Editors shouldn’t make these mistakes. But, frankly, they’re overwhelmed. Because fewer people subscribe to, or advertise in, newspapers, they can’t afford as many editors. Want to see fewer goofs? Support your local newspaper! (You should anyway; it’s your only comprehensive source of local news!)
How about bandanna?
Don’t forget to record your purhcase! (Note: The misspelled headlines continued for several weeks before they were fixed. )
You want to spell the moth right.
Bruce Moore
Honcho.
Typo alert! Good news for journalists that it was fixed later (right).
NOTE: As retired journalists —actually, you’re a journalist for life — the Horribly Wrong team says it’s no mistake that attacks on journalists, whether by rogues or governments, pose a serious threat to peoples’ right to know anywhere in the world. In 2022, at least 67 journalists and media workers were killed globally. That’s the highest number since 2018 and nearly double the total for 2021. We salute our incredibly brave colleagues.
Items before the Assizes:
Oyez, Oyez, Oyez! On the docket:
A reader submitted this headline: “New-look offensive line trying to jell.” The reader asked whether it is “jell” or “gel.” Our Rules Committee says “jell” is defined as “to take shape and achieve distinctness: become cohesive,” so the headline is correct.
And we go to the video archives for Segment 40: More clichés coming out your ears. https://youtu.be/AcsAxDk5Fxo
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong" features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police.” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, menus, TV news graphics, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we properly can credit you. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
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NOTE: Eliot and Lou Ann are available for speaking engagements, and can travel. Reach us through the comments section. Just think of all of your employees getting back to work on a Monday, their heads filled with all the ways we’ve shown them to be better communicators!