Girl’s Night Out With The Non-Consumer Advocate
by Katy on December 21, 2016 · 51 comments
I’m just a girl, standing in front of some Goodwill crap, asking it to love me. #NottingHill
Or . . . I’m a nurse, who had an English minor, who gets annoyed with incorrect apostrophe usage.
Or . . . I’m a non consumer trying to do all of her holiday shopping without buying anything new.
Whatever it is, that targeted savings bank is THE WORST!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
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{ 51 comments… read them below or add one }
It could have said ‘This girl’s night out.’ There are a lot of silly gifts!
Improper grammer kills me. I was taught in 4th or 5th grade to read it as “girl is” to see if it was correct. The other one that bothers me is improper pronoun, again, taught to see if it would stand alone. “Her and I” went out. I works but her surely doesn’t.
BTW my local Goodwill rarely has any of those banks. Could it be newbie Floridians donated them before moving here?
I’m sure it was just an honest oversight — or the work of dreaded auto-correct — but…
It’s “Grammar,” not “Grammer” — unless you’re talking about one of the stars of Frasier! (Or maybe the person who portions out drugs for a local dealer?)
Obviously my grammar is better than my spelling of it 🙂
No worries, Bellen; at least you’ve mastered the more difficult part! Now if we could only convince many, many others to care about grammar as much as we do….
Have a wonderful, grammatically correct holiday weekend!
I got in a knit when I saw the title of your post in my Inbox, thinking “it’s girls’ night out’, Katy!”.
Phew, when I read the post. Yep, another grammar and punctuation pedant here.
My pet hate is when people get “it’s” and “its” wrong. That’s the easiest one: why, people, why??
And yes, it’s an utterly vile moneybank.
For some reason, the use of “its” and “it’s” seems to confuse a whole lot of people. When I see these errors in materials I use in my work, I always correct them. I’m sure people think I’m a real nitpicker, but I just can’t help it.
Another punctuation pedant here, especially when it comes to its and it’s. My husband got me a dozen ballpoint pens a few years ago, with Grammar Sheriff imprinted on each one—he said that way I would have enough to share with like-minded pedants. One of my favorite gifts ever.
And after all that hoo haa, bloody autocorrect took out my punctuation, so, once more with feeling:
“It’s ‘girls’ night out’, Katy!”
As a retired elementary school teacher, I totally understand your distress over improper apostrophe placement.
I hesitate to post because I screw up punctuation(and more) all the time! I do have valuable frugal tips yet I do get in a hurry and don’t always proof read.. I am college educated yet imperfect, lol! Hopefully, you all can look over my errors. #nobodysperfect
ME TOO.
Keep frugal tips coming – correct or incorrect grammar not a biggie with me.
Making mistakes on a quickly written blog comment is one thing, but maybe double check before you paint it on a large vase. It’s even worse if this is something mass produced rather than homemade.
I’m happy for frugal tips even if they’re not perfectly written.
Another Grammar Sherriff here! You don’t get citations for blog comments. But bad usage and spelling in tattoos or on vases, that’s another story. I can get a bit judgey about missives sent out representing your employer to the public, too. On the other hand, I reserve the right to make up words like “judgey.” Even if I insist on tucking the period inside that quotation mark. My absolute specialty is less vs. fewer.
Ah, tattoos! A young friend has a misspelled tattoo, and I have used a lot of will not pointing it out. A major achievement for me, a former raging Grammar and Spelling Sheriff!
As “Weird” Al intoned:
You should know when
It’s “less” or it’s “fewer”
Like people who were
Never raised in a sewer
Oh the dreaded “less” vs. “fewer”. I avoid the express lane so I don’t have to see the “10 items or less” sign.
Thanks, guys!
UGHHH!
The dreaded apostrophe usage!!!
Those savings banks you find always crack me up. Oh, Goodwill.
I did score a nice find at Goodwill. I bought an old book from the 60s for $1. I turned the old weathered book into a neat “treasure chest” by cutting out the middle of the book’s pages to make a little cranny. I’ll give it as a DIY gift for Christmas–hopefully they like it!
Dear Katy,
To quote Lynne Truss:
“The reason it’s worth standing up for punctuation is not that it’s an arbitrary system of notation known only to an over-sensitive elite who have attacks of the vapours when they see it misapplied. The reason to stand up for punctuation is that without it there is no reliable way of communicating meaning.”
Thanks for spotting that horrible use of an apostrophe!
Sincerely,
An English major 🙂
Yes, as in the fabulous book ‘Eats shoots and leaves’. Completely changes when punctuation is added. As in ‘Eats, shoots, and leaves’. Biochemistry major who simply paid attention in elementary schoo.
Lynne Truss is my hero! Have you read _Talk to the Hand_ ? Also a fun read.
I mess up punctuation all the time when typing (my apostrophe might end up in any part of the word. My New Year’s Resolution should be proof reading) but this bank appears to have been commercially produced. Did NO ONE in the process (designer, producer, buyer) realize the writing was off ?
I rarely see targeted savings banks down here, either, but I always think of you when I do, Katy!
Spelling, grammar and punctuation obsessed here as well.
My pet peeves, other than the incorrect use of apostrophes:
The $ sign, put after the number, i.e. 5$. Used to never see it, now see this all the time.
And the incorrect use of loose, and lose, as in “I always loose my keys” aarg!
Yes! It drives me crazy, too, and I have a friend who mixes them up constantly. I think I might “loose” my mind, ha, ha.
Somehow I seen keys on the loose. Painting the town red, rampaging up Main St. . .
Just wanted to say I loved this visual…
I think the placement of the dollar sign might be cultural. I see it mostly with non-Americans.
I turned off autocorrect on my phone and do all those things and more. In 5th grade I discovered e e cummings in my parents’ books or the books of my parents and realized it ain’t nuttin. And in English 101 the book said you can say anything, anyway, if you put it in parenthesis cause, “We all jes talkin here.”
To all those who continue to fight the good fight…good work, well done! To all of us who gave up a long time ago, it’s a big boat and getting crowded. LOL, tTyL.
Ha! I love your comment, Tia!
I love your comment, too. I don’t think I’ll ever be in danger of being mistaken for a grammar sheriff.
And the auto correct feature can be a blessing or a nightmare. Nightmares are funnier. Like the time I was proofing a press release for a friend, and realized good old auto correct had changed “Department of Public Works” to “Department of Pubic Words”. That one still gives me pause.
I get annoyed with the improper usage of “it’s” and “its”. Also, the misuse of good and well. 🙂
Katy, my dad told me this story yesterday, and I thought of you immediately. It’s not punctuation-related or dedicated savings bank-related, but it is Goodwill-related. SO. My dad has a Christmas tradition where he makes handmade woodworking gifts for friends and family–and he ends up making a LOT. He’s highly skilled, so they are always useful and beautifully made and stamped “Handcrafted by [Lisa W.’s Dad].” He spends Christmas Eve visiting his friends and dropping off his gifts, and it’s just an all around lovely tradition.
A few weeks ago, a friend of his was in Goodwill and found a lovely wooden item stamped “Handcrafted by [Lisa W.’s Dad.]” Scandalized, she “rescued” it and returned to my dad. My dad, figuring that when he gives a gift, it’s entirely up to the recipient what happens to it, was not bothered in the least. In fact, he is DELIGHTED, because now he plans to tell the story at each visit, “and watch their faces.” Which, I have to admit, is exactly what I’d do.
I know I make grammar and punctuation mistakes more than I would like to but the one grammar mistake that drives my nuts is your and you’re. I guess because this one is pretty easy not to mess up.
I’m pretty good with grammar…but my spelling is awful. Now that I mostly type in Word, and most internet forums have a spelling function, if I happen to be writing with a pencil, I have to really think about some words. I always want to flip the “e” and “i” in weird…and I get really messed up if a word has more than one “r” (or if I think that it should have more than one)
Grammar issues aside, that thingy hanging on the side, which I suppose is supposed to be a champagne glass, looks like a dog bone! Vile indeed.
I noticed that as well. I thought it was a Parcheesi playing piece, then realized it was supposed to be a cocktail glass. Blobby!
Would someone please tell me when “at” placed at the end of a sentence was considered proper? Drives me bonkers!
My personal number one gripe is cite/site/sight.
Heels/heals and dam/damn are mine
Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.
Makes a difference to Grandma!!
Punctuation saves lives!
There are so many:
our/are
their/there/they’re
addition/edition
I once almost had an out and out argument with a co-worker who wanted me to transmit his technical information, with the word “accept” where he should have used “except,” to the Big Important Client. I had to show him a dictionary to prove my point.
Oh, this discussion is rich!
I can only imagine how frustrated all of you will be with our new incoming President. He loves to make up his own words and use grammar improperly! Hahaha!!
My pet peeve is the lack of adverbs – positive/positively, fresh baked/freshly baked, etc. (I see a difference in a fresh, baked cookie and a freshly baked cookie.) Loved this discussion.
Maybe the single girl just didn’t have any friends? It was HER night! LOL
That came to my mind too 🙂
Bad grammar and a good laugh 😉
Most of these type things are made in China or other country and they don’t know our language.
When I was a very young girl, the Bible story of the Tower of Babel made an indelible impression. Now, it seems eerily prophetic. I am thankful for every single Grammar Sheriff. It absolutely frosts me when people say it doesn’t matter. Yes, yes it does.
OTOH, I can math, spell and read real good (joke), but I can’t type worth a damn. Oh, and please don’t get me started on autocorrect idiocy.
Finally, love, love, love Lynne Truss!! Good grammar saves lives indeed!