Friday Sign of the Apocalypse: Attention, Urinal Users

If you thought you were going to use this urinal to travel through time, think again. It is temporally out of disorder (no doubt temporarily).

Or, wait, no... Maybe this urinal is out of "sink" with time.

Either way, "urine" luck. There's a fresh urinal cake!
 

Thanks to Tom for the photo.

Hollywood Blooper Reel

Here are the latest casting-call goofs sent to us by a Real Hollywood ActressTM. Enjoy!

You will be paided.
Well, ain't that grand! But being paid would be better.

She becomes a hooker to make ends meat.
Is she fishing and cooking decidedly non-vegetarian meals down by the docks? [SPOGG: Making ends "meat" for money is illegal in most states.]

Status: un-union
I think you mean non-union.

Type: White felmale
What exactly is a felmale?

If your not geting gigs, it could be those photos you have.
If you're not getting submissions, it could be that casting call you posted.

So Close, But Yet So Far

Sarah M. sent along this misspelled caption from her local newspaper, along with the hope that someone who graduated from journalism school would know how to spell.

A few things: Not everyone who works at a newspaper goes to journalism school. We never did (and instead, studied Classics and English literature, which probably explains a lot).

Photographers tend to write photo captions, or "cutlines," as they are often called in newsrooms. Although these should be proofed, we tend to give creative people a bit of slack when it comes to spelling. No doubt there are many photographers who spell well. We knew enough who didn't, though, to be sympathetic with our wincing.

There are a lot of expressions like "do to" — ones that are fouled by a homophone. "Half to," "could of," no doubt the members of SPOGG could generate a long list. The question we have, though, is what to do about it. For people who don't learn language through reading it and don't form mental pictures of words when they write it, it is very difficult to convince them that these are, in fact, errors. Trust us. We have a 9-year-old at home who repeatedly writes "half to."

Then vs. Than

This comes from The Oatmeal. Enjoy!

One Little Letter

Then and than. So close, and yet they are not interchangeable. Use "then" when you're talking about something related to time. "Than" is what you use when you're comparing things.

For example: "Then she turned on the cassette player in her car and played More Than Words by her favorite early '90s hair band, Extreme."

Sara J. sent this real estate listing our way. After we got over how much house you can get for $129,000 in some parts of the country (we live where that wouldn't buy you a closet), we had to shake our head sadly at the ad promoting this home.

A Lesson in Antecedents

Pronouns can be so unclear sometimes. That's why this T-shirt is an essential part of a thoughtful writer's wardrobe. Buy it on Zazzle.

(SPOGG won't earn a penny from this. We just want people to remember to keep their antecedents--the stuff that comes before the pronouns--nice and clear. And by "stuff," we mean words, phrases, or clauses.)

We Will Not 'Yeild'!

Here's a bit of happy news from Nevada: 

SPARKS, Nev. -- Residents no longer have to shake their heads over two "Yeild to bikes" signs along a busy Nevada street.

Officials in Sparks say the misspelled signs were replaced after they were featured on MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" show on Thursday night.

The senior vice president of the construction company that is extending a boulevard in the city near Reno says a contractor didn't notice the misspelling of the word "yield."

Lance Semenko says it was an honest mistake.

It's not the first time misspelled words have turned up on signs and roadways in the Reno area.

In the past, roads in school zones have been painted with the words "scool" and "shcool."

Indeed!

Thanks to Samantha G. for the photo.

This Gave Us Contractions

Here's a Facebook comment thread sent to us by our old friend, Sarah K.

Last names have been abbreviated to protect the innocent--and the guilty, even though he doesn't really deserve it. Enjoy!

Monica F.  I am far from stupid!!! I do not want to be treated as if I am stupid, not now, and not ever!
Yesterday at 9:08pm · Comment · Like

Joseph W  But youre female?
Yesterday at 9:12pm

Sarah K  you're
Yesterday at 9:19pm ·

Joseph W  Im lazy, sue me
Yesterday at 9:20pm

Sarah K  I'm
Yesterday at 9:21pm ·

Joseph W  Dont lecture me
Yesterday at 9:21pm

Sarah K  Don't
Yesterday at 9:22pm ·

Joseph W  Isnt this crazy?
Yesterday at 9:22pm

Sarah K  nope.
Yesterday at 9:23pm ·

Joseph W  Monica wouldnt appreciate us hijacking her thread, shh, shes stupid, so she cant read this.... Jk Monica!!!!! Anyone who works hard for her family isnt stupid.
Yesterday at 9:26pm

Megan O  I adore Sarah Kietzer. :-)
11 hours ago

Monica F  I adore Sarah as well :))) HEY I adore you too Megan :)))) and JOE's not too bad

Friday Sign of the Apocalypse: Spring Fever Edition

Thanks to Alex in Wenatchee, Washington for sending along this sign. Either they're REALLY excited about a shipment of springs that's arrived, or this is an apostrophe catastrophe and they meant to say "spring's here."