Andy Pettite

-- Andy Pettitte's profile on ESPN on November 4, 2009

ESPN just can't figure Andy's last name out. Each time it's four Ts once, then three Ts 2+ times. Four is still the correct number. Click the image to enlarge it.

in Canadas North

-- "Olympic flame to shine light on more than a dozen communities in Canadas North" on Yahoo! Canada Sports on November 3, 2009

I'm trying to understand why Canada's North gets an apostrophe in the article's opening sentence, but not in the article's headline. Can anyone offer some insight? Click the image to enlarge it.

Check out the stars below, who have all be busted faking their vocals.

-- "Are your favourite stars lip-synching?" on MSN Entertainment on November 3, 2009

The writer of the above has now been busted for faking their status as a professional writer. Click the image to enlarge it.

YES: 72%

-- "Yesterday's poll" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 29, 2009

I know my pies, and the blue part of the pie is definitely taking up more than 72%.

These hot tracks forces fans

-- Yahoo! Canada homepage on November 2, 2009

If it was Best stadium anthem and This hot track, then forces would be correct, but they're both plural, not singular, so the S-less force is the correct word here.

people are looking to get hit the sand and get some sun

-- "Winter vacation destinations" in Vancouver 24 hours on November 3, 2009

While I would love it if the sentence was missing the word by between hit and the, it's more likely that the word get should merely be removed.

Victims' mother files lawsuit

-- "Victims' mother files lawsuit" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 20, 2009

Proofreading isn't just recommended for articles, but for the headlines as well. There were multiple victims, but it was very early in the article that I learned that the lawsuit was being filed by just one mother of one of the victims, so the apostrophe belongs before the S.

they were a dying species, a nearly instinct species.

-- "U2 never short of creative juices" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 28, 2009

I'm thinking instinct should be replaced with extinct. What do you think? Does instinct make any sense here?

their teamates nicknames; to give Mason Raymond the nickname "Perry" This one works on two levels.

The article "The Hoff, Lululemon and Aroma" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 28, 2009, has me thinking of the rough-and-tumble Canucks players sitting around sipping some chamomile tea. Their teamates nicknames? Seriously? Teamates is actually not a recognized word. The writer wanted teammates but failed miserably. And for good measure he/she left the apostrophe off of tea(m)mates' nicknames - the nicknames do belong to the teammates, right? Here's another error from the same article:

Pin the period into the paragraph.

whoever is behind can takes the reins

-- "The art of Tantric sex" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 23, 2009

Okay, look. Proofreading is not hard. Either remove the word can or take the S off the end of takes. A writer for a newspaper should be able to spot an error such as this on first reading.

Swift said,, "I don't know

-- "Taylor Swift on 'Team Jake'" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 29, 2009

Taylor Swift's quote is so shocking, so breathtaking, that the writer advises you to pause twice as long as usual.

Over the course of the next half four

-- "Stabbing spree sends five to hospital" on Vancouver 24 hours online on October 25, 2009

The next day's print edition had it as half hour, but over a week later the online version still shows half four.

18 goals in 36

-- "puck talk" in Vancouver 24 hours on November 3, 2009

18 goals in 36 years? That's not very good. 18 goals in 36 periods? That is very good. 18 goals in 36 games? That sounds about right.

a single mom who shoplifts to feed her hungry kids would be effected; assitance

Did the economy's downturn affect the quality of writing found in newspapers? This article - "People with warrants not eligible" - was in Vancouver 24 hours on October 20, 2009. Effected instead of affected wasn't the only error:

Assitance? There is no such word. I think the writer was trying for assistance. There should be a comma after assi(s)tance.

Letterman replied, "That's just good, Christian values,"

-- "People in the news" in Vancouver 24 hours on October 16, 2009

Uh, no. Letterman didn't say any of the quotes mentioned in the article; all three came out of Fey's mouth. But don't just take my word for it, watch it on youtube below (relevant material starts at the two-minute mark).