I can't stop browsing craigslist. I'm also a stickler for proper spelling. This is a very bad combination.
Usually I just giggle and move on when I see listings for "rod" iron, or "chester" drawers (or draws) but the other day, after seeing more ads for dinning tables than I could stand (I quit counting at 54), I snapped.
In a maniacal outburst brought on by menopause and caffeine and people who can't be bothered with spellcheck, I clicked on "Create New Post." I knew this was a CL rule breaker - you can't post an ad just to complain about another - but I was out of control.
I frantically typed my opinion of dinning, dinning, and more dinning, while trying to be helpful by explaining that you dine in your dining room on your dining table at dinner time. I hit the post key with no concern whatsoever for the feelings of those who can't spell. They certainly had not considered my feelings before posting their dinning tables.
Soon the emails started arriving from those who wanted to thank me for saying what they, too think but didn't have the hormonal/caffeine malfunction to say. I went to bed.
The first email of the next morning informed me that my post had been flagged and removed. The CL furniture section still had comments though, and lots of them, from people who wanted to share the typos and misrepresentations that make them crazy. My favorites were Amish Maid China Cabinet, and Queen Mattress with One Night Stand.
One post said that I am a very mean person, but they hoped I had a blessed day anyway.
The final note was from another CL addict, recommending I visit a blog called yousuckcraigslist. Now when I feel the urge to correct those wacky missppellersss, I can just visit that blog and laugh.
It was a blessed day.
Deb, I want to comment that I LOL at this blog. You've got more * than I have, and I congratulate you. I still laugh about Queen Mattress having a one night stand. Gayla
ReplyDeleteI'm still laughing. Oh my gosh, way to go! I've felt the same pain at reading Craigslist posts. Have you ever checked the pets section? Bad grammar + horrible tempers (the pet listings can get quite volatile at times)= Nasty headache.
ReplyDeleteOh Diane! Don't get me started on the pets section. I feel another episode coming on...
ReplyDeleteI wrote a goofy post when I had to place my psychotic cat and got hate mail from some, um, person who thought I was trying to sell a cat for $5,000. One of my faves was a post from a lady who said "I can't have puppies." REALLY? I don't like imagining her efforts, either.
Missspellling is a real epidemic. I even have Mike getting excited to show me all the typos in his magazines (these are supposedly proofread by 'editors', people!) Giant billboards, advertisements, it's everywhere. It discredits the company or magazine being represented. Kudos to you, Deb. There's a great book called "Doing Our Own Thing: The Degradation of Language and Music and Why We Should, Like, Care" by John McWhorter. He nails it on the head.
ReplyDeleteGreat. Now I have to place another Amazon order :)
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