I love how big box stores, grocery stores and others now want to offer me wipes for the handle of my shopping cart. If they had any wipes at Best Buy (which they didn’t) I’d take it to the person who created this sign and try to wipe off the stupid. They have turned the word “healthy” into “heathly” (maybe they’ve read Wuthering Heights too many times — no, I doubt it) and “sanitizing” into “sanatizing”.

Hey, at least they got the Best Buy colors right.

Except when it comes to spelling.

This is funny on so many levels. I will resist the urge to over-explain.

Suffice to say that the needed word is berth not birth. Defining Wild Card, however, is a much more complex undertaking because it has different meanings depending on the sport. I think it means they secured a spot in the playoffs, but only because they had a better record than the other teams who didn’t get there during competition during the regular season. That’s a dubious distinction in my book. Why they would include it, with a misspelled word, on an otherwise stellar placard, is beyond me.

Tune in to ESPN at 8:30 for the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. I can hardly wait!

And, if you’re the one tweeting about the Bee, it would behoove you to spell correctly correctly.

Here’s today’s transgression:

Now, I’m looking to all the journalists and journalist wanna-bes out there. Are you now captioning photos? Please tell me you are writing captions.

By the way, I thought baseball players didn’t come out in the rain because they tend to melt or some such nonsense. Where are the guys with the tarp?

What made me think of it? I’m house-hunting, and I’m finding that a lot of houses in the area I’m looking have optional lake club privileges. There are lots of little lakes with club houses and swim teams (and web sites) which are there, ostensibly, to make these communities more attractive.

Looking at one website, I noticed they offer a periodic newsletter by email:

I might have to “suscribe” just to see what other wonderful errors I might find.

Ersatz. The unlikely combination of letters, the fun sound of this word and its definition make it a great addition to anyone’s vocabulary. Ersatz is an adjective meaning “being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation”. “Ersatz eggs” would be a great way to describe powdered vs. real eggs.  (“Ersatz” may also be the sound you make while trying to spit out powdered eggs.)

Erstwhile, meanwhile, can be used as an adverb (meaning “formerly) or an adjective (meaning “former”). The erstwhile chef was unsuccessful at passing off powdered eggs to her clientele.

Have fun!

If you chose wild game, however, I hope you didn’t have to get it on safari.

Easter has been a long time coming this year, it seems. Whether it’s late in the calendar or the fact that spring has taken a less-than-firm stance, this year Easter is a welcome milestone.

When I went to pick up lunch today, I almost lost my appetite as my local pizza joint chose this way to mark the day:

[Step back, shake head, blink a few times, grab cell phone, snap photo. Sigh.]

It’s due to, kiddies, not do to. And, no matter what Strunk and White says, due to is one of those combinations of words I generally seek to eliminate. There are many better word combos, and once people start using due to they find it hard to stop. Addictions to due to  are alarming. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. It is completely acceptable to substitute because of or even from, if it works. Don’t be shy, give it a try!

Coming up with those new drink concoctions must have been fun! You should wait until the hangover subsides before you write the new drink menu. It’s “special”.

Now, is it a vegetable or a fruit? I feel certain there is a blog out there that attempts to bring closure to that issue. Oh, let’s call the whole thing off.