Posted on 01/05/2010 9:03:49 AM PST by JoeProBono
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Two U.S. men convicted on federal vandalism charges for fixing typos on public signs said they have landed a book deal to write about their adventures.
Benjamin Herson of Oregon and Jeff Deck of Massachusetts said they were given a $150,000 advance to write "The Great Typo Hunt," which is due out Aug. 3, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Monday.
The men were sentenced to probation and ordered to stay out of national parks for a year for correcting the grammar on a 70-year-old sign at the Grand Canyon's South Rim during their 2008 cross-country typo trek. They credited the case's publicity with helping them land the book deal.
"The overreaction of the government probably helped us a lot in terms of getting this deal," Herson said. "It's one of those true lemonade-out-of-lemons stories."
Is that in Wisconsin?
I’m guessing they were fixing “errors” rather than “typos,” but either way - I think there’s a need for their services. :)
They got this idea from a book that had a cartoon on its cover showing someone correcting a sign with a ladder. And the author got the idea from a post on the copyediting list. And the poster got the idea from a cartoon that she saw. Doesn’t anyone ever have an original idea any more?
The typos and misspellings on this beautiful artifact are charming, and reflect a different mindset.
Now as for our contemporary road signs, that's another matter...
Benjamin Herson of Oregon and Jeff Deck of Massachusetts said they were given a $150,000 advance to write “The Great Typo Hunt,” which is due out Aug. 3, The (Norfolk) Virginian-Pilot reported Monday.
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What I wanna know is.....
What are there FReep names?
There was a guy in my St. Paul sales office who added an apostrophe to any word that ended with an “S” or “es.”
I once counted ten apostrophes in one his letters being typed (word for word) by our secretary...
Posted on Saturday, August 23, 2008 10:13:18 AM by gitmo
PHOENIX - When it comes to marking up historic signs, good grammar is a bad defense.
Two self-styled vigilantes against typos who defaced a more than 60-year-old, hand-painted sign at Grand Canyon National Park were sentenced to probation and banned from national parks for a year. They had removed an extraneous apostrophe and added a comma to the sign.
Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson pleaded guilty Aug. 11 for the damage done March 28 at the park's Desert View Watchtower. The sign was made by Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, the architect who designed the rustic 1930s watchtower and other Grand Canyon-area landmarks.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
I knew that this country was going down the tubes when I saw a sign on a local street that read, “Driver License Office” instead of “Driver’s License Office”, with an arrow pointing to the office.
I saw that sign in the late 70s.
Was that a deliberate typo?
My wife's former best friend used to do that too: every plural had an apostrophe.
I once -- very gently -- mentioned that plurals are NOT possessives. She looked at me like I was some sort talking rock, then burst out laughing.
And, yes, she still adds an apostrophe to every plural.
I am curious about the phrase "jury-rigging" which I see fairly often. Didn't it used to be "jerry-rigging": a reference to German skill at making ad-hoc repairs? "Jury-rigging" makes no sense unless one is actually talking about rigging a trial jury.
Last week the family and I saw several signs that read, "Moving Sael." My son asked how anyone who couldn't spell "sale" could afford a home. :)
lolol
No. It was an accidental typo.
But... at least the grammar police are here!
lolol
The government knoe's whats best 4u.
Ask Bawney Fwank.
Jury rig is a legitimate phrase. It means fashioning a temporary replacement for something which has broken. It’s a “cob job” meaning cobbling something together temporarily. sd
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