Classified Malaprops

[akirlu]

It is a notable fact that the bar for literacy among Craigslist posters is not especially high. Anyone with a sensitivity to spelling and grammar infelicities will wince quite a bit. In addition to "rod iron" (for wrought iron) and "in tact" (for intact) as reported at Making Light, I am today enlightened with this new gem: "KING SIZE SLAY BED". Clearly Procrustes was going for half measures.

Comments

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm reading a book from a major publisher that is not only full of miscues that drop me out of the story, but has "tenant" for "tenet" and "renown" for "renowned", etc. If I didn't see the copyright page, I'd say it was POD. I have considered every night if I was going to put it down for good, but the possibility of more interesting editing errors keeps me going.

[akirlu.livejournal.com]

Well, I once got some free books out of the deal for pushing through a book like that. I was reading Toolmaker Koan and the copyediting was driving me buggy, particularly because there were all these missing close-quotes, absent from the middle of long stretches of dialog so I kept mis-cueing on who was speaking. I finally threw down the book and fired off an irritated letter to Baen books just to vent my feelings, and unexpectedly got a personalized letter back, plus a handful of new books by way of apology.

[readwrite.livejournal.com]

"KING SIZE SLAY BED"

...Headboard is slightly charred around the edges...

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

"Ideal for snuff films!"

[numbat.livejournal.com]

I expect that 'king size slay bed' came out of an old inn. Clearly the item of furniture the innkeepers used to do away with rich travellers. . .