From the Grammar Police
More chronic’s!
Reader’s: The Horribly Wrong team and it’s followers cant understand this mistake, considering its from a writers’ organization!
Reader’s: Heres more: You dont use apostrophe’s for plural’s. Its wrong.
This sign says the lot holds only one physician’s space. We’re guessing it’s physicians’ parking.
Misplaced modifier! The pandemic wasn’t in March 2026. Try: “Gas prices surged in March to highest levels since pandemic.”
This might be one we’re losing. But we’ll keep fighting. Filming means recording something on film. You can’t argue it’s colloquial because some people still use film. In this example, the person wants the testimony recorded. Put on video. Maybe broadcast live. Not filmed.
You use “XXX, New York” or “xx, N.Y.” only for cities. Long Island is not a city. It’s a 100-plus-mile island covered by two counties. It has 13 towns, two cities, 97 villages, 173 hamlets, more than 120 public school districts and more than 900 taxing districts. You wouldn’t say, “Napa Valley, Calif.,” or “Outer Banks, N.C.” You can say “New York’s Long Island.” Also, wouldn’t you want your ad to say where on Long Island? Again; it’s a big place.
The Horribly Wrong team officially moves this cover-your-butt phrase from cliché to chronic to all-star chronic. It has become ubiquitous. Reporters use it all day as a euphemism for “We don’t know.” Guys: Just say you don’t know.
Monday is Memorial Day. It’s not happy. You don’t say, “Happy Yom Kippur,” or “Happy Good Friday.” Memorial Day is not a day you celebrate. The word “memorial” should be the giveaway. We suspect most folks honor our country’s military dead as much as anyone. People: Take a minute before you consider that ad or sales event. It’s the least you can do.
And we go to the video archives! Click for Segment 8: Clichés. https://youtu.be/ABoi9z0N_aY?si=90sCjNs0pLNeFpGX
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong" features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police.” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, menus, TV news graphics, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we can credit you properly. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
Haven’t signed up for our newsletter yet? Do it now! And tell your friends!
NOTE: Eliot and Lou Ann are available for speaking engagements, and can travel. Reach us through the comments section. Just think of all of your employees getting back to work on a Monday, their heads filled with all the ways we’ve shown them to be better communicators!