Oh no! apostrophe astray in -gasp- John Lewis!

[Annner]

Just got back from the blissful calm of a child-free shopping day in Southampton.

Spent far-too-much money in John Lewis, on lovely clothes for DS and DD.

But my blissful calm was shattered by the sight of a t-shirt in the toddler department which proudly shouted, "bug's"

I sent the following email as soon as I got home.

Dear John Lewis,

This is not so much a complaint, as a lament. I was shopping in your Southampton store today, admiring your lovely toddler boy range. BUT! I was dismayed to see a T-shirt bearing the legend "Bug's" (sic.)

Surely, surely, surely, somebody somewhere in your buying department is aware that you not need an apostrophe to indicate a plural? There was no suggestion that the bug concerned actually owned anything. How could this glaring error have slipped through?

I rather suspect that this T shirt may not sell as well as the other insect/creature ones in the range, as I think that there may be other pedants out there who wince when we see a mis-used apostrophe, not to mention shuddering at the thought of our children actually wearing one.

I'm trying not to take myself too seriously over this, but I always think of you being above this sort of thing, and it really 'bugged' me. It goes without saying that I spent a small fortune on other lovely items, but please tell me that you won't be re-ordering this one.

Best wishes,

Annner

They had a whole rack of them this morning. It was just about the only style that hadn't sold out in the 18-24 month size.

Do that many children have "Bug" as a nickname?

As an aside, they were v. nice Boden-esque applique t-shirts, only rather less offensive to the bank balance. And without a cheeky monkey/trouble is my name etc. in sight.

Well in that case you could/should have brought it and unstiched the apostrophe....

Do you know the worst bit?? I've just remembered! When they sent me the gift card, they enclosed a letter saying my comments had been forwarded to the STATIONARY department. Do you think they were taking the piss?

But then there would have been an unsightly gap between the g and the s.

(I once did that on a badge that I bought while a Venture Scout, and it looked awful)

Well you will have to unstitch the S and stitch it back on in teh right place ....problem solved!!!

... or just buy a cheapo t-shirt and stitch my own flippin' bug! A whole cottage industry is born. T shirts for pedants.

I think that it was more that it was St John Lewis rather than the error itself - albeit one which was glaring and seen all too frequently. I mean, aren't their buyers all naaaice young ladies and gentleman what have been properleeeey h'educa'ed?

I know, I know....I was just trying to be funny....

, I know, I know. And you were! It cracks me up how the original point in Pedants' Corner is always lost if there is even a minute typo in the post. Talk about opening the floodgates.

It's an exhausting business, shopping. What with picking holes (not literally) in JL, refusing to buy heavily logo-strewn pink monstrosities, balking at hipsters for 3 year olds (in Monsoon!) it's a wonder that anything met my approval.

Perhaps I will have to dig out my sewing machine and teach myself to sew, after all.

Night, night.

TBH hte whole concept of pedants corner is lost on me.

I weren't never tort gramma & spellin where I went

Cantrytohelp - please tell me you sent the letter back to M&S? Maybe even received another £15 voucher?!

rofl

I should have done MmeC. I was so busy banging my head on the kitchen wall once I'd read it though that I kind of forgot about it!