Languish.org

General Category => Off the Record => Topic started by: Syt on September 01, 2014, 04:23:36 AM

Title: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Syt on September 01, 2014, 04:23:36 AM
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-28937822

Quote'Septermeber' misspelled road sign put up in Oxford

(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.bbcimg.co.uk%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2F77173000%2Fjpg%2F_77173755_roadsign.jpg&hash=f4f560854fe527cf032a3fbbdfdd9a8f7bf9ae55)

A roadworks sign that spells September as "Septermeber" has disgusted locals.

The temporary sign in Oxford city centre is meant to instruct readers of a three-day closure in Becket Street.

A county council spokesman said it was "not immune" to "typographical errors" and compared the council to the BBC.

Zoe Blackman, who spotted the mistake, said: "A typo is one thing; adding several letters to a widely recognisable word such as September is an entirely different matter."

'Budding neologist'

In a lengthy critique of the bungled sign, she added: "As a moderately intelligent and seemingly well educated person-type I tend to notice glaring mistakes such as this upon immediate discovery.

"Perhaps the person in charge of signs was a budding neologist, or maybe they decided they wanted to use more of the enticing letters that lay before them on their keyboard. Who knows?

"It could be a salacious poke at the Oxford University educational standards within the city.

"Whatever it is, it annoys the living daylights out of me, and I hope someone's cheeks are flushing red with embarrassment at their desk."


Mo Bacon from Buckinghamshire who retweeted a photo of the sign, said: "I was just disgusted that it was put up with no-one bothering to check it first.

"Having been a teacher I'm very aware of bad grammar."

'Easy to rectify'

Stephen Linstead, chair of the English Spelling Society, said: "The word September is spelt as it is pronounced - i.e. phonetically. Unlike many English words, it doesn't contain any element of irregularity to trap the unwary. In short - no excuse!"

Oxfordshire County Council apologised to those offended by the error.

Spokesman Martin Crabtree said such spelling mistakes were "unfortunate" and said the BBC also made such errors.

He added: "The mistake is easy to rectify and the meaning of the sign in the meantime is still clear.

"There will be no cost to the county council as the wording on the sign is the result of an error made by our contractor."

Two years ago the county council came under fire after contractors wrote "schoul" on a road outside Wolvercote Primary.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Admiral Yi on September 01, 2014, 05:05:36 AM
Hillary, did you move recently?
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Liep on September 01, 2014, 05:07:56 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 01, 2014, 05:05:36 AM
Hillary, did you move recently?

The Brits don't need foreigners to misspell their words.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Josquius on September 01, 2014, 05:52:37 AM
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.dailymail.co.uk%2Fi%2Fpix%2F2014%2F08%2F25%2Farticle-2733862-20C958A000000578-202_634x614.jpg&hash=58ff454b3ada3639fb07235c871576cfe0c10fa3)
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: grumbler on September 01, 2014, 07:42:41 AM
Biggest non-story ever?  :hmm:
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Syt on September 01, 2014, 07:45:58 AM
I clicked the story because the BBC link said something about a disgusting typo, so I was expecting something naughty/wildly inappropriate.

I was disappointed in that regard, but I found the extreme reaction of the local Oxford Grammar-Gestapo rather amusing.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: grumbler on September 01, 2014, 07:47:33 AM
Quote from: Syt on September 01, 2014, 07:45:58 AM
I clicked the story because the BBC link said something about a disgusting typo, so I was expecting something naughty/wildly inappropriate.

I was disappointed in that regard, but I found the extreme reaction of the local Oxford Grammar-Gestapo rather amusing.

"I hope someone's cheeks are flushing red with embarrassment at their desk" is the most extreme reaction British statement ever.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Syt on September 01, 2014, 08:04:59 AM
I think it paraphrases Neville Chamberlain's reaction to the German invasion of Poland, which makes ti topical again.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: HVC on September 01, 2014, 08:18:48 AM
Quote from: Admiral Yi on September 01, 2014, 05:05:36 AM
Hillary, did you move recently?
No, but I guess I should consider moonlighting as a sign painter :P
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: grumbler on September 01, 2014, 09:01:16 AM
Quote from: Syt on September 01, 2014, 08:04:59 AM
I think it paraphrases Neville Chamberlain's reaction to the German invasion of Poland, which makes ti topical again.
:lol:
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Razgovory on September 01, 2014, 12:12:02 PM
"Septermeber" was not misspelled.  It doesn't mean anything as far as I know but the sign clearly reads, "Septermeber".
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Eddie Teach on September 01, 2014, 04:27:30 PM
Quote from: Razgovory on September 01, 2014, 12:12:02 PM
"Septermeber" was not misspelled.  It doesn't mean anything as far as I know but the sign clearly reads, "Septermeber".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs069dndIYk)  ;)
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: MadImmortalMan on September 01, 2014, 09:09:48 PM
Quote

In a lengthy critique of the bungled sign, she added: "As a moderately intelligent and seemingly well educated person-type I tend to notice glaring mistakes such as this upon immediate discovery.

You're a person-type? What's that?  :rolleyes:

I hate this faddish snarky tone.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Warspite on September 02, 2014, 01:30:45 PM
And yet, somehow, life in Britain goes on.
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: KRonn on September 02, 2014, 02:00:59 PM
Lol, I was also expecting this to be something glaringly offensive or worse yet offending someone's politically correct sensitivities, but it was just the grammar police getting a rise over a misspelled construction sign!  :D
Title: Re: People of Oxford disgusted at typo on road sign
Post by: Scipio on September 02, 2014, 02:28:29 PM
Cambridgeshire residents were not at all surprised.