We officially are in the holiday season. And the bad grammar gifts are arriving already.
Our July 17, 2022, segment mentioned this dumb cliché. Our question: How do you quantify “just around the corner?” Eliot heard a commercial the day after Halloween that said Christmas was just around the corner. That’s 55 days; nearly two months. Another commercial that aired Nov. 6 said the 2023 Super Bowl was just around the corner. That’s 104 days, or 3½ months. Capt. James T. Kirk is born March 22, 2233. Is that right around the corner?
Boy, whoever wrote this for a major TV network must have come in the day after Thanksgiving still dopey from that big meal.
The first sentence suggests millions of people never shopped in their lives before this holiday weekend began. That’s an easy fix that requires moving just one word: “Millions of Americans plan to start holiday shopping this weekend.”
There’s more. Why is holiday capitalized in one place and not the other? It shouldn’t be capitalized in either place. Also, If electronics are at the top of your list, they already are top electronics. Redundant! And do we even need holiday the second time? No. So, “CEO…talks about electronics at the top of many wish lists.”
This ad might make us breath a little easier. But don’t hold your breathe.
Sammy Alzofon
It’s enough to make you faint!
We’ve seen this elsewhere. “Prepare to be amazed.” “Prepare to be shocked.” “Prepare to be astounded.” How the heck does that work? Can someone explain how you prepare? Go ahead. We’ll wait. Right. It’s a brutal cliché . And pretentious. And dumb.
And we go to the video archives for Segment 31: Not generic! https://youtu.be/UyB_PCbHBSs
From the mailbag:
Loyal reader and frequent contributor Dr. Baruch Kahana recently read in a major newspaper about a listeriosis outbreak caused by contaminated deli meat. The article said, “…one person got sick during their pregnancy.” Dr. Kahana bets his medical license that the pregnant person is a female. He says, “How about, ‘A woman got sick during her pregnancy?’” We, of course, CONCUR.
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!