This is a copy, including punctuation and typface, of an advertisement currently prominently displayed on all the West Midland Metro trams.
You know where it s All at the Kings square shopping Centre
That's the way to deal with those pesky apostrophes. Replace 'em with spaces. But what's the deal with the random capitalisation and bolding and what the heck does the sentence mean, anyway?
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
That the correct use of a semicolon should be deemed newsworthy is, however, decidedly depressing.
Agreed. However, tossing a perfectly recyclable newspaper into the trash is also decidedly depressing, especially when prompted to do so by a civic authority.
That the correct use of a semicolon should be deemed newsworthy is, however, decidedly depressing.
One of our Board members once said, "The sentence is lacking a semicolon." I don't think any sentence ever needs a semicolon. To me, it's optional and could be replaced by other punctuation, depending on the sentence. I could be wrong, though.
To me, it's optional and could be replaced by other punctuation, depending on the sentence. I could be wrong, though.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that; there are times when a semi-colon is correct and couldn't simply be replaced. But the sentence could always be recast - often quite simply - to avoid the need for semi-colon use.
Richard English
Posts: 8038 | Location: Partridge Green, West Sussex, UK
tossing a perfectly recyclable newspaper into the trash is also decidedly depressing
Agreed. Outside the London terminus I use, however, are several bins specially dedicated to newspapers for recycling. I can't speak for the other stations, though. In addition, my local council is busily replacing its street litter bins with dual purpose ones which have 'recyclable' and 'unrecyclable' containers.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
But no one has yet tried to explain the bizarre typography or the precise meaning of the original sentence. Frown
What explanation is needed other than that of ignorance on the part of the signwriter, and parsimony on the part of the organisation who commissioned his work and didn't pay to have it professionally proofed?
Insofar as the meaning, I suspect it was supposed to read:
You know where it's all at - the King's Square Shopping Centre!
Richard English
Posts: 8038 | Location: Partridge Green, West Sussex, UK
Bob, you mentioned the sign's punctuation and typeface, but not the colour. If it was multicoloured, is it possible that the punctation disappeared into the background, in the same way that the "i" is almost invisible in "multicoloured" above? I've seen some pretty horrible mishmashes using several colours, although most are produced by individuals as one-offs using their PC, rather than by 'professionals', I'll admit.This message has been edited. Last edited by: arnie,
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
