Category Archives: Words

Fruitless labelling from M&S

Posted on 25th September 2011 by fin

Spotted this juice label. Surely M&S mean “with fruity bits” rather than “with juicy bits”? After all, the product is JUICE, isn’t it! Tweet

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Less of that, ASDA

Posted on 29th August 2011 by fin

ASDA has raised the bar on the classic checkout clanger. Not content with using “less” rather than “fewer”, it has imposed a strict item limit of “about 20″. Who’s counting? Tweet

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Only at Luton Airport

Posted on 27th August 2011 by fin

Here’s another example of a misplaced “only” messing up the meaning of an important-looking sign. The photo was taken in a public area of Luton Airport. As a departing passenger, I was evidently in the wrong place, because the sign … Continue reading →

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Badvert double whammy

Posted on 26th August 2011 by fin

Seems to have been a week for bad adverts (or “badverts”, as I have decided to call them). First I saw the Nature Valley advert, proclaiming “We wanted to increase deliciousness by 200%… So we put two bars in each … Continue reading →

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The Economist Style Guide

Posted on 27th July 2011 by fin

I came across the Economist Style Guide the other day. I admire the way that The Economist is written and their style guide helps explain how they do it. It’s a great reference to help get writing right. There’s a … Continue reading →

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Too much toothpaste!

Posted on 19th July 2011 by fin

J and I were having a clear out the other day and realised we have an unnecessarily large stockpile of toothpaste! As if that’s not rock-and-roll enough, I noticed that Colgate has mis-spelled “anti-bacterial” on its teeny 25ml tube. Maybe … Continue reading →

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Bizarre Bournemouth

Posted on 18th July 2011 by fin

I stayed in Bournemouth recently for my Stag Weekend.  We had a great time, and as an extra bonus I spied a handful of delightful little idiosyncrasies in our hotel. “Anemergency” – the missing space inverts the meaning (like aerobic … Continue reading →

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Dogs must be carried

Posted on 22nd July 2010 by fin

It’s an oldie, but a goodie; the sign at the entrance to escalators on the tube, saying “Dogs must be carried”. Seldom do I see anyone carrying a dog, but I do see lots of dogless travellers using escalators. So, … Continue reading →

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Unlimited* marketing reaches Infinity*

Posted on 30th June 2010 by fin

The shampoo bottle was the last straw. “Touchably soft hair” it promises.  Marketing claims and brand names become ever more contrary and vacuous.  Or perhaps I’m becoming more attuned to them (not to say grumpy!). Let’s look at a trio … Continue reading →

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Only at King’s Cross?

Posted on 24th June 2010 by fin

As my train pulled into King’s Cross, I spotted a serious-looking sign bearing the edict: Electric Trains Only To Access Platform 0 A couple of questions struck me: Is King’s Cross the only station with a Platform 0? Why was … Continue reading →

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