Trolley Is Are

There are too many problems to count on this sign, sent in by Paul.


Even the apostrophe in the store's name seems misplaced. And why do they feel compelled to spell "pack" without a "k"? It almost makes me think they are trying to write "park" with a Boston (or British, or New York) accent. And "thankyou" as one word?

When they write "please help us," they must mean with their spelling and grammar.

Thanks, Paul!

Cantab Lounge Catastrophe

I've been noticing this badly punctuated sign outside the Cantab Lounge for well over a year, but for some reason I'm never in Central Square during daylight hours. Either that or I'm too busy stepping over homeless people to stop and take a photo.


The Cantab is a classic dive bar that has yet to be gentrified. And thank goodness for that. But they need to spruce up their punctuation. Apostrophe catastrophes are too seedy, even for Central Square.

Vegas Strip Alcohol Catastrophe

Here is one debacle that did not stay in Vegas.


Four catastrophes in one photo! Craig really hit the jackpot.

Thanks, Craig!

Things that Make You Go Hmmm....

Lillian found this badly punctuated ad for a Hasbro game called "The Game of Things" in What's Cooking magazine.


One of the categories should be "Things you should have learned in English class," Lillian writes.

I think a game similar to this one caused some serious hurt feelings among my friends in college.

Thanks, Lillian!

Book Review: Why Women Need Fat

BlogHer, a website for female bloggers to which I belong, sometimes provides books for bloggers to review through its book club. This month, we read Why Women Need Fat: How "Healthy" Food Makes Us Gain Excess Weight and the Surprising Solution to Losing It Forever.

The word "healthy" on the cover is in quotation marks for good reason. People are buying more and more "healthy" foods, and yet obesity keeps increasing. Could it be that eating more like our ancestors ate could be the solution to the obesity epidemic?

It's no news that fad diets don't work, but this book does provide some new food for thought (pun intended). Its main point is that omega-3 (polyunsaturated alpha-linolenic) and omega-9 (monounsaturated oleic) are good fats and omega-6 (linoleic) is bad fat. To summarize the message, one should eat fish, canola oil, and olive oil but stay away from corn, corn oil, soybean oil, and cornfed meat. It was also interesting to read historical information about our aversion to saturated fats (Eisenhower's heart attack), anthropological studies, etc. I felt that the book could have been better organized and more succinct, however. It makes the same points several times and also could have benefited from providing example meal plans.

Also, it is tempting to take away the message that some fats are good fats and we can eat as many of them as we want, but this is simply not true. It is still important to keep portion size in mind. For example, on page 143, the authors write, "Like plain potatoes and wheat, rice and pasta are low in omega-6 and can be eaten without any restrictions." I don't understand how they can get away with this claim. If you eat a lot of pasta (or almost any food except raw veggies), you are going to get fat. While not all calories are created equal, you still have to be conscious of calories in vs. calories out.

But overall, the book definitely made me stop and think more about what I am buying at the supermarket. I would definitely prefer to buy organic, non-cord-fed chicken, but the $2.99 deals at Market Basket are just too tempting. I guess I should start shopping at Whole Foods. I would probably find fewer punctuation errors there, too.

Blame It on the Rain

Wendy spotted this apostrophe catastrophe at a comedy club in Seattle.


Not funny, comedians!

Thanks, Wendy!

Newspaper Headline Catastrophe

Happy New Year, everyone! I am a bit behind on posting submissions that you have sent in, but keep 'em coming! Here's a catastrophe from a newspaper headline back in September 2011.


It should say cities, not city's.

Thanks, Agnes!

Holiday Apostrophe Catastrophe

An anonymous reader found this apostrophe catastrophe while holiday shopping at TJ Maxx.


Good grief indeed! Maybe if Lucy had just said "Merry Christmas," this catastrophe could have been avoided.

Thanks, person who sent this to me!

O Holy Catastrophe

Susan sent me a screenshot from a YouTube video of some kids in Alaska town going all Bob Dylan on the Hallelujah Chorus. She writes that the video is "Cute, fun, in the spirit of the season and all, but every time they got to 'King of King's' and 'Lord of Lord's,' I cringed a little."


Happy Holidays to Susan and all my other readers out there! All I want for Christmas is apostrophe catastrophes.

Filene's Basement Catastrophe

Everything must go at Filene's Basement, including the apostrophe in its name.


My condolences to people who loved the Basement.

Video Store Catastrophe

Emily spotted this catastrophic sign in a video store in Victoria, BC, so who knows how long it has been there.


I hope the parents aren't responsible for their chiderns [sic] spelling!

Thanks to Lillian for sending this in!

Christmas Public Service Announcement

It's probably a little bit late for this, but I thought I would extend a public-service announcement related to holiday cards. If you are signing your family's name on the card, do not use an apostrophe. Even if your last name ends in "y." I'm probably preaching to the choir, but this seemed relevent for today.

And now for today's apostrophe catastrophe, submitted by Alan, a prolific contributor to this blog.


It should just say "The Jonkmans," or "The Jonkmans' House." He says he tried to explain the error to the owner of the store where he found the sign, to no avail.

Thanks, Alan!

Hooters T-Shirt Catastrophe

Sherry picked up a Hooters T-shirt for a Halloween costume a few years ago -- or so she claims -- and has been annoyed by its apostrophe catastrophe ever since.


The name of the city is Pembroke Pines, so if the shirt is trying to say that the city rocks, it shouldn't have an apostrophe at all. If the shirt is trying to refer to rocks that belong to the city (unlikely), the apostrophe should be after the "s."

Thanks, Sherry!

Only on Days that End in "Y"

Leah couldn't resist correcting this apostrophe catastrophe that she found in the dressing room at Old Navy.


Two days in a row, I have featured entries in which readers have corrected errors. I'm proud of you guys!

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I was very honored a couple of days ago that Passive Aggressive Notes posted a sign that I sent them. At least someone cares about me... (kidding! meta!)

She's Crafty!

Last year Melissa sent in a photo of a tree skirt that was marred with an apostrophe catastrophe. When she brought the tree skirt out of storage today, she decided to fix the catastrophe with an editor's mark made of red thread.


Well done, Melissa! Now I'm in the holiday spirit.