General Chat

Where did you see them Gwyn?

You would not believe how badly I need those herbs!

:-D :-D :-D

I remember seeing a printed product label in a supermarket, which said that the herbs on sale would compliment my cooking.

Not sure anyone else would...........

:-\ :-\ :-\ :-D

Hmmm! When is Stationery not stationary?


When it's Air Mail!!!


Ba boom!!

You know that point I was making about oldest of two?

Do you think the person who wrote the article had been taught in a school with a stationary cupboard? It was probably stood somewhere out of the way as well!

Bob :-D
I was working (temping) in a school, and the stationery cupboard was labelled 'stationary'.
The only way I could refrain from pointing out the error was to say to myself 'It's not moving' :-( :-(

LOL Dermot, re the last paragraph...

Is a Stationery cupboard Stationary?

if it has wheels....No....

'Who's Whose' is a lovely little book by Philip Gooden (2004) which provides a no-nonsense guide to easily confused words.

As the Author said: "The English language is a minefield, full of words that look and sound alike but mean different things in different places.

So, if you have ever been fazed (or phased?) by the difference between stationery and stationary, or pore and pour, then this is the book for you".

Bad spelling and grammar do make me twitch. But teaching and correcting it was how I earned my living for many years so that's hardly surprising.

It does matter and it's disappointing when those who should know better get it wrong. Glaring errors distract from what the author is trying to say.

The point of grammar and spelling is to make oneself understood. Sloppy grammar and spelling can lead to the reader misunderstanding what the writer is trying to say. The whole point in writing is so that people do understand.

So those who earn a living by writing should get it right.

I think a large part of the problem for journalists, not only in the Daily Mail but newspapers all over the world, and also for authors of books, is that there are no longer any Copy Editors or proofreaders who check articles (or books) for correct English usage, spelling and continuity.

It's all been replaced by Word Spell on the computer ........ hence Pat's notice of the word soar instead of sore. Word Spell only checks that a word is spelled correctly, not whether it is the correct spelling for the context.

I find that more and more books contain mistakes ............ not only spelling, wrong words, but also lack of continuity or character name changes, etc etc


This began to happen in the late 90s ................ editing articles and books written by staff members was part of my job. I used my grammar school education, no other training!

I was basically an author's editor, while journals and publishing houses had Copy Editors and proof readers who not only checked the manuscript but also the page proofs. I would get a copy of the page proofs all marked up for printing, and had to make sure that the author's meaning had not been lost in the process.

I checked not only spelling and grammar but also that the author had adhered to the beliefs and standards of the Botanical Garden ............ that last sometimes led to big discussions with the Copy Editor.

But then came the time I was editing the "big" book, about 400 pages ............ and realised that the publishers had done away with the Copy Editor and the proofreader .................. I was suddenly responsible not only for editing the manuscript, but also for making sure that the page proofs were correct, with no typescript errors, omissions,etc.

I wasn't trained for that last stage ............ but I had to learn. FAST!


It's even worse now, as newspapers and books show every day

I think it is like an electrician turning up with a lolly stick and a plastic spoon to re-wire your house and charging you the same price as a properly equipped tradesman.

Would it be akin to a chef opening a can of soup.....should be able to do better??

Having been sentenced to grammar school, I still feel naughty when I use poor grammar and sometimes do it entirely from defiance.

'Words are the dress of thoughts, which should no more be presented in rags, tatters and dirt than your person should'. (Earl of Chesterfield).

I agree with Sharron too.

If writing is your stock in trade, get it right.

We all write sloppily and use slang at times and if I get the gist of what someone means even though the grammar and/or spelling is incorrect I would never bother to correct it.

The other day I saw an article in the DM about someone who was sore but they wrote soar :-S

Someone educate the so called journalist and the proofreaders - that's if they bother to have proofreaders now. :-|

I understand what you are saying but grammar changes over time as does language and in that instance the journalist’s meaning was clear. If you were urging someone along you would tell them to put their best foot forward, though in theory that should only apply to Jake the Peg :-D

To be honest my Butler is the worst offender
He corrects everything even letters
from the Doctor or Hospital and the newspapers

I agree with Sharron - if it's a journalist, they should at least have a decent grasp of the language - and the proof reader should have an excellent comprehension of the language.