I know this is a real old sore. And I know this isn't the most grammatically correct, or well-spelled blog in the world. But I still get occasional delight from a bit of pedantry, especially spotting inappropriate quotation marks. Because they're always so undermining. Like this great example from the music shop in the Royal Festival Hall in the South Bank. Which you'd have thought would have pretentions to being quite a literate place. But no, they seem to be telling us that they're special offers aren't so great after all.
(and no, that incorrect 'they're' was not ironic. it was a mistake. i'm an idiot.)
Hmm, is that 'they're' IRONIC? :)
Posted by: morgan | March 08, 2004 at 09:27 AM
The one in the penultimate line, I meant. ;)
Posted by: morgan | March 08, 2004 at 09:31 AM
i find that music shop the strangest on in london. it seems so temporary and lacks the usual coolness of your standard grimey record shop. it also lacks a clear demarcation point and it's difficult at the edges to tell if you are in the shop or the foyer at the edges.
perhaps the "quote" marks were an attempt to bring some anarchy to the otherwise sterile environment ?
Posted by: funkypancake | March 09, 2004 at 09:07 AM
damn. I knew writing about pedantry was a hostage to fortune. Especially when you're as careless as I am.
Posted by: russell | March 09, 2004 at 03:24 PM
it's a clever store though. because you go to the south bank thinking it'll be a nice morning out. and then you get there and remember there's nothing to do (once you've had your fill of bad jazz and second hand books) so you end up shopping for CDs.
Posted by: russell | March 09, 2004 at 03:27 PM
Is it well-spelled or well-spelt? Us pedants want to know!
Posted by: Grahame | March 23, 2004 at 03:09 PM
oh god. i knew this was a can of words I shouldn't have opened.
Posted by: russell | March 25, 2004 at 07:58 PM