WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE




if I can't spell? You knew what I meant.



Like a lot of arguments, it wasn't based on sound principles. (Or is it principals?)



When one leaves out one letter, as in the photo courtesy of Mrs. Jeron Hayes from Washington D.C. and former student of mine, she knows the importance of clarity and proofreading.

There are so many examples from advertising that they are too numerous to mention. Jay Leno used to do a good job. There are books that contain misspellings and grammatical malfunctions. Even a book, Eats, Shoots, and Leaves examines the pitfalls of language usage and abusage. Hey, maybe I just coined a word. Whether I'm the first to use it or not, I don't know, but I like it, and I've never heard it before.

Before I leave my Close Reader(s), one more abusage told to me recently by a pastor when we were playing golf. It comes from church bulletins with misinformation. Some are listed in a book, but I didn't catch the title. One example, before the favorite of mine is "Weight Watchers meeting will be held in the annex. Please enter through the double wide door."

But what I laughed most about came from an associate pastor who was trying to get the congregation to increase their giving. He stated in a blurb in the church bulletin. "Consider giving more of your money for tithes. I've upped mine. Up yours."

All that's needed is the Laugh-In's little ditty--da,da,da,da,da,da with accents on the third and sixth da.