January 4, 2001
6:43 AM Subscribe
"Go To Class -- It' a Blast!!!" The Washington D.C. school board strikes a blow against truancy, and manages to take out grammar at the same time.
So they made a typo. Easy enough to glance over, I did about three times until I finally figured it out. Your mind just assumes the 's' is there.
As for the first line of the ad, "DC Public Schools Wants You!!!," while it sounds wrong, I imagine the people writing the copy are used to referring to "DC Public Schools" as a single entity (a valid usage) and therefore it is grammatically correct, although it grates on the ears of those unused to hearing "Schools" in a singular sense.
posted by daveadams at 7:55 AM on January 4, 2001
As for the first line of the ad, "DC Public Schools Wants You!!!," while it sounds wrong, I imagine the people writing the copy are used to referring to "DC Public Schools" as a single entity (a valid usage) and therefore it is grammatically correct, although it grates on the ears of those unused to hearing "Schools" in a singular sense.
posted by daveadams at 7:55 AM on January 4, 2001
I just thought this typo was funny because it involved a school system.
It is a strange typo though. People usually commit the "its/it's" error. The single apostrophe is kind of unusual though, which is probably what made the typo so noticeable.
posted by rorschach at 8:10 AM on January 4, 2001
It is a strange typo though. People usually commit the "its/it's" error. The single apostrophe is kind of unusual though, which is probably what made the typo so noticeable.
posted by rorschach at 8:10 AM on January 4, 2001
This error would be easy enough for one person to glance over, yes. But just think of how many people in the DC Public School System and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority must've signed off on this ad. And nobody noticed.
Hardly surprising though. As a life-long DC resident, I'm accustomed to seeing this kind of incompetance in the local government.
posted by ratbastard at 9:00 AM on January 4, 2001
Hardly surprising though. As a life-long DC resident, I'm accustomed to seeing this kind of incompetance in the local government.
posted by ratbastard at 9:00 AM on January 4, 2001
Although it is a high profile blunder, at least this one doesn't directly screw the kids, like most D.C. school mismanagement does. A few years ago, a large number of schools couldn't even open for the school year because they did not meet building codes.
posted by rorschach at 10:02 AM on January 4, 2001
posted by rorschach at 10:02 AM on January 4, 2001
I think it's funny they kept saying "I'm afraid people will think we're incompetent because of this" as if "people" were being so cruel and uncaring by thinking they're incompetent because, well, they're incompetent. Yes, it's a simple mistake, but we've had people suggest our president-elect is completely incompetent and even suffering from various severe mental deficiencies based on similar mistakes, mispronouncing words, etc.
posted by dagnyscott at 10:35 AM on January 4, 2001
posted by dagnyscott at 10:35 AM on January 4, 2001
we've had people suggest our president-elect is completely incompetent and even suffering from various severe mental deficiencies based on similar mistakes, mispronouncing words, etc
You left out driving drunk with family in the car, refusing to answer questions about illegal drug use, failing in numerous businesses despite financial backing from his father, hiring his dad's friends and political advisors for his cabinet, and believing that a tax cut will revive the economy. :P
posted by daveadams at 11:04 AM on January 4, 2001
You left out driving drunk with family in the car, refusing to answer questions about illegal drug use, failing in numerous businesses despite financial backing from his father, hiring his dad's friends and political advisors for his cabinet, and believing that a tax cut will revive the economy. :P
posted by daveadams at 11:04 AM on January 4, 2001
Nader nader nader!
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:23 AM on January 4, 2001
posted by Sapphireblue at 11:23 AM on January 4, 2001
You beat me to it!!!
And Don, you misspelled "incompetence." :)
posted by solistrato at 11:31 AM on January 4, 2001
And Don, you misspelled "incompetence." :)
posted by solistrato at 11:31 AM on January 4, 2001
Yes, but my error didn't cost me $41,000.
posted by ratbastard at 1:20 PM on January 4, 2001
posted by ratbastard at 1:20 PM on January 4, 2001
...cost the tax-payers, that is.
posted by ratbastard at 1:23 PM on January 4, 2001
posted by ratbastard at 1:23 PM on January 4, 2001
Misspelling or not, I imagine that the "Go To Class -- It's a Blast!!!" campaign will be about as effective as the "Just Say No" campaign.
posted by milnak at 2:00 PM on January 4, 2001
posted by milnak at 2:00 PM on January 4, 2001
I don't think THAT many people signed off on it. According to the article, the error originated at the printer. The one person who signed off on the proof, who probably just considered it a formality, is the one at fault.
posted by smackfu at 2:17 PM on January 4, 2001
posted by smackfu at 2:17 PM on January 4, 2001
Still, there were a lot of people handling those signs. Maybe they didn't formally sign anything, but didn't any of the printing company's staff even NOTICE?
I know, I know, product of the school district in question ...
posted by dhartung at 4:01 PM on January 4, 2001
I know, I know, product of the school district in question ...
posted by dhartung at 4:01 PM on January 4, 2001
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A month or two ago they had an ad that featured their competitors' brands moving to the sounds of trucks stalling and/or not starting, and then when "Toyota" came up it said something like "Best Towing Capacity In It's Class".
Someone's asleep at the wheel....
posted by pnevares at 7:03 AM on January 4, 2001