Actually I lived in Colorado Springs for 6 months (which is right next to Pikes Peak for those of you that didn’t know) and even on Pikes Peak, they don’t spell it Pike’s Peak.
To slightly hijack the thread, [hijack] when I lived in Texas, I never got used to the signs calling a Laundromat a “Washateria”. [/hijack]
Let’s See What’s Out There … Engage
The world’s loneliest doper.
I grew up in backwoods country. About a mile down the road was a house with a corrugated metal fence surrounding the back yard. Spray-painted on this fence was the legend: 'You’uns stay out. Bad Dog".
Now I live in the big city and every night, as I come home from work, I turn onto “101th St.”
Plus ca change
Plus c’est la meme chose
Near where I live there’s a sub shop that has a neon sign which reads:
CLASSIC SUBS
Only, for a while the ‘i’ was burned out, so that it read:
CLASS C SUBS
Of course, we all know that class C is a tax designation that has more to do with weight than with quality.
Warning: Facts coming from faded memory.
I recall a town in New Jersey names Cox’ Corner. They pitched a bitch when the new interstate sign on I-195 was posted and read Cox Corner.
It seems that on federally-funded green reflectorized interstate signs apostrophe’s are not supposed to be used.
This may account for the plethora of “Pikes Peak” signs and the like…
Guest contributor
Straight Dope Science Advisory Board
On my way to work each morning, the bus passes one of those bakery stores, where you can buy day-old bread and such pretty cheap. A huge sign on the wall outside proclaims :
WEDNESDAY
“BARGIN” DAY
Now, I don’t know if they intentionally spelled it incorrectly, and that’s why they put quotes around it, thinking they were being cute, or if they were just stupid. Either way, I just don’t like it. I don’t know why, but that freaking sign really bugs me every time I look at it.
There is a building (Morrill Hall) on the University of Nebraska Campus that features a side door, with a sign that says “Emergency entrance only”.
This makes me wonder what kind of emergency would occur that would necessitate entering the building? Nuclear fallout? Large hail? Lightning storm? Neighborhood bullies? (we call them “fraternity members”)
AND even if there were an emergency where you needed to get into this building, you could not. The door is always locked!
There is another building, Henzlik Hall, named for Mr. Henzlik, of course. The sign out in front reads: "HenzliK Hall". I'm not sure why that last K is capital... This sign isn't as cool as "Emergency entrance" though!
SRB will get you girls!!
In Niles, CA, Big Daddy’s Hamburgers has Chile, Chilli, and Chili on the three menu signs, along with Bananna and Bannana shakes.
Serial Poster Girl
http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/gregspizza/index.html
I guess it means that Wednesday is the day to barge on in and get the cheap bread.
>>>ChiefScott wrote: “It seems that on federally-funded green reflectorized interstate signs apostrophe’s are not supposed to be used.”<<<
Alternative Response #1:
Just one more way our government keeps America safe for democracy.
Alternative Response #2:
Well, of course not–there should only be new apostrophes on federally- funded highway signs.
Also, I recall a hand-lettered sign in a store once which informed everyone that some product could be found in “Isle 7.” I didn’t go there, though–I didn’t wanna get sand in my shoes.
At the risk of offending some folks, I suspect most sign painters never finished college.
As a professional technical writer, I’ve learned to try to “leave work at the office” when I see typos on signage. It’s advice I got from my editor.
By the way, a marvelous book I can recommend is “Sleeping Dogs Don’t Lay: Practical Advice for the Grammatically Challenged” by Richard Lederer. Mr. Lederer is a renowned grammarian with his own NPR radio show in San Diego, and his hilarious book is full of great tidbits of information.
Don’t forget – even with a spell checker you can still have PUBIC RESTROOMS.
– Baglady
I suspect most sign painters never finished college
I did finish college, but still can’t spell a lot of words.
The difference is that I know how bad my spelling is that I would never make a sign without help from Funk & Wagnalls