‘Santas coming,’ or typos are the gift that keeps on giving

We're making our list and checking it twice for accuracy.
A record player
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They see you when you’re sleeping, they know when you’re awake.

Who are they?

The Santas. And they’re coming, although it’s not clear whether they all fit into one sleigh or have their own rides and teams of reindeer.

See what happens when you omit a single apostrophe? You really upend Christmas.

Of course, Virginia, there is only one Santa Claus.

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Pro Player Supply dropped the ball with this advertisement, twice omitting critical apostrophes. By the time the company gets it right at the bottom, we learn that not only is Santa Claus coming to town, “hes” giving out discounts.

Just for that, we’re not going to let Pro Player play in any reindeer games.

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Discount retailer Marshalls was frugal with punctuation in this sign. “Men” already is plural, so adding just an “s” is redundant, which is to say, wrong. With an apostrophe, it would become the possessive – and correct – “men’s fashions.”

Earlier this year, the Associated Press determined that “underway” was acceptable in all uses. I’m not buying that any more than I’m willing to relent on a couple of other common misuses of combined words.

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“Anytime” doesn’t go over easy with me pretty much any time I see it.

Some suggest that “any time” and “anytime” are more or less interchangeable adverbs, with two words being the preferred choice in formal situations. But I’m with blogger Kirk Mahoney: anytime is an adjective, not an adverb.

To wit: “Kirk Mahoney is an anytime (adjective) friend; you can count on his wise counsel at any time (adverb).”

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I came across this contractor’s pickup in Maine. For an owner apparently so attuned to customer service, why is he offering only his “everyday” (adjective) best, meaning “common” or “informal”? I’d be more impressed if he committed to doing his best every day (adverb), as in each day.

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My question: In which aisle will I find another hyphen? The sign writer got it right with “blown-in insulation” and “whole-house generators,” compound adjectives both.

But he lost me at the headline, which should promote “in-home” estimates, as in the estimator will come to your home.

You know, kind of like all of those in-home visits that all of those Santas will make on Christmas Eve.

 

 

About the Author

Neal Goulet

Neal Goulet, Owner
Having been a journalist, Neal knows writing, grammar and style, as well as the language and movements of a newsroom.
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