Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Punctuate this

You know what I find offensive?

 


That's right - the misplaced comma.

I mean, honestly. If you're going to whack a twelve-metre-long billboard advertising male sniffy-stiffy spray up at the one of the busiest crossroads in Brisbane, you could at least have the courtesy of using correct punctuation.

In this case, Men: "Do It" Longer or Men - "Do It" Longer would be more appropriate. And while we're at it - let's drop those ridiculous quotation marks around the "do it" as well, huh?

If you can't be trusted with the Queen's English, then how the hell are you to be trusted with the flaccid members of Brisbane's impotent?

12 comments:

Peter C. Hayward said...

Why is that incorrect? It's like if I said "Natalie, do up your shoelaces!" - is that a misplaced comma as well? It's a comma between the person being spoken to, and the instructions.

Number 10 on this page ("the 10 uses of commas") - http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/22944.aspx?p=2

"Use commas to separate direct addresses. For example:

Please clean the kitchen, Oliver.

Mr. Johnson, what time is the meeting?"

The Wah said...

From a grammatical point of view both the comma or colon could be used. It all depends on how much emphasis you want to put on the word "Men". The more dramatic pause (ie the more important the word before the pause) comes from a colon. A comma denotes a shorter pause.

http://www.buzzin.net/english/commas.htm

uamada said...

perhaps the comma is used in this instance as a emoticon - it looks a bit like something dangling off the end of men

Domestic Daze said...

Let's face it. The last thing men reading this are going to care about is punctuation. Are they? Something also tells me it wasn't one of the more cultured members of our society who was responsible for the whole sad idea in the first place.

Jamin (AKA Blue Box) said...

Tee hee... "sniffy-stiffy spray". Love it!

Sleepydumpling said...

Go to: www.stephenfry.com

Click on Video Audio.

Listen to the podcast on language.

Repeat.

Dr Yobbo said...

What worries me is the nasal delivery technology. If that's how they want you to 'do it' I suspect they're 'doing it' wrong.

Dr Yobbo
Not one of the doctors from the 'Advanced Medical Institute' (who makes these names up?)

The Ancient Man said...

"Either way, men."
"Get it upya."

My God I thought I was back in high school.
And, believe me, that was a very long time ago

Bangar said...

I find the ads themselves offensive, can't wait for them to go.

Moko 2.0 said...

I, for one, like commas.

Girl Clumsy said...

As, Moko, do, I. A little, too much, perhaps,?

Moko 2.0 said...

lol

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