tips, thoughts, and advice from a language geek
This is a grammar post. I think the sign should say: Please push your bicycle through the underpass. I would use “through” because an underpass is basically a tunnel. Not that prepositions necessarily make...
I have doubts about the “uniqueness” of the “workmanship” of the clothes rack, but the assembly instructions are quite respectable. See below for details.
I think I would call this very useful, well-made thingy a plastic cutlery basket, not a health chopsticks cage. Health The word “health” is not typically used as an adjective, except to describe a...
In the past, I’ve read British books and not known the relevant money-related vocabulary. This sign, spotted at the museum of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, should help!
I saw this message displayed on a programmable sign over a highway, prefaced by the notation “Georgia Law”. Obviously, the message is Turn on [your] headlights when [it is] raining. The intent is clear,...
This package of Japanese Kyuri from Malaysia says: Rich in nutrients, Cucumber are excellent in salads, sandwiches, stir-fry and sushi. Here, the fact that the singular is being treated like a plural makes it...
When I ate at a squinchy Japanese restaurant that had high chairs at a bar-style counter, the server laconically instructed me to put my bag “downstairs”, which meant “on the shelf under the seat...
This sign in the Kent Vale lift says: For children between 6 to 16 years When you have two numbers, you need “between… and”, or “from… to” not “between… to”. For children from 6...
This sign in the lift at Kent Vale says Pre-loved Items Collection Which sounds weird to me because I would have said Pre-loved Item Collection even though obviously they will be collecting more than...
This sign at OG says: Pierre Cardin apparels Now, I used to think that the word “apparel” had no legitimate plural form, but it appears I was wrong. Google’s dictionary says: However, I don’t...