Don't quote me

So "Whatever' and "you know what I mean' both start with a double quotation mark and end with a single quotation mark, while "like" got the full-on double double quotation mark. I wonder what that means. Probably just that the writer (of ""Whatever" voted most irritating word in poll" on Yahoo! Canada News on December 15, 2010) is incompetent. Later in the article,

There is a double quotation mark - or maybe single quotation mark, as that's how this writer often seems to roll - missing from the end of the second sentence above. I love that the article ends with the naming of the reporter and the editor. The errors are still there today. Click an image to enlarge it.

LeBron's a camel

More precisely, his first name - LeBron - is an example of camel case. A writer for the Yahoo! Canada homepage got it wrong last month, and a writer (perhaps the same one?) got it wrong above on December 18, 2010.

Another dropped E

The trend continues: Bridg should be Bridge. From "Road rage" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 24, 2010.

Still lacking class

An L is still missing from the classifieds section in 24 hours Vancouver; the above image is from December 16, 2010.

We're looking for answers

We, the readers of local newspapers, are looking for answers in the form of punctuation. The word were doesn't fit here, but the contraction we're does. From "Pigeon Park barbecue like no other in DTES" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 20, 2010.

I love you man

But here it's supposed to be your man. As for considered the the sturdiest work socks: that's one the too many. From "Perfect presents for the man of the house" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 22, 2010.

Scarlett's looking odd

I've noticed a trend of missing Es lately. I've found one of them here, in the misspelled Scarlett (last name Johansson). From the MSN Canada homepage on December 19, 2010.

A New Westminster police officers stands guard

There's disagreement in this photo caption from "Man held in murder case" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 20, 2010. The photo was of just one officer, so officers should be officer. If there were several officers standing guard in the photo, then both the A at the beginning and the final S in stands would have to be dropped.

Dropping E at UC Berkeley

One out of two is bad. From "Magnetic field in Earth's core measured" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 20, 2010.

A writer without a heart

Whoever was in charge of the headline for "Kidman, Eckheart had rough time filming Rabbit" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 22, 2010, must've been in a serious rush, because a quick glance at the article's very first sentence - heck, the first two words - would've been enough to see how to spell Aaron Eckhart's last name.

One time, Tommy Salo allowed three seasons

How, exactly, does a goalie allow four games in one outing? In fact, how does a goalie allow any games in an outing? From Jaroslav Halak's profile on Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Hockey on December 18, 2010.

Errors in the capital

Or, if you're a professional, he's playing the Orpheum Saturday night. See the difference? From "Hometown show still a thrill for the Trench" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 17, 2010. At least the band's name is not incorrect this time.

Still lacking class

An L is still missing from the classifieds section in 24 hours Vancouver; the above image is from December 15, 2010.

Our you serious?!

How can a professional writer confuse our and are? I'm baffled. Also, check should not be capitalized. This is from the "Holiday gift guide" table of contents in Metronews Vancouver on December 16, 2010.

Writers are supposed to proofread

Get jobs as proofreaders and/or editors at 24 hours Vancouver? One question: do you know how to spell supposed to? If yes, you're hired! From "Craigslist succumbs to pressure, drops sex ads" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 20, 2010.

The key to a good proofread is to see

At the start of the second paragraph (of "City casts net for gangsters" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 17, 2010), Warren's last name is Lemke. Later in the article,

Warren's last name is Lemcke. The correct spelling is Lemcke.

No editors afoot

I was all excited to read about a car that was able to steal something. Not just anything mind you, but something as outrageous as a foot. Unfortunately, the space between a and foot in the article's headline should not have existed and I suffered a serious letdown. From "Car thieves a foot" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 17, 2010.

Chaos in chaos

It's okay, 24 hours Vancouver, this error is only on the front page of your December 21, 2010, edition - I'm sure there are worse places to publish a nonword. Actually, on second thought, there isn't.

I do believe there's a spelling catastrophe

Theses - plural form of thesis. Thesis (noun) - stated or put forward for consideration, esp. one to be discussed and proved or to be maintained against objections: He vigorously defended his thesis on the causes of war. (source: Dictionary.com)

Theses should be these on the MSN Canada homepage on December 12, 2010. Click the image to enlarge it.

Still lacking class

An L is still missing from the classifieds section in 24 hours Vancouver; the above image is from December 13, 2010. When it comes to text that is part of the newspaper's template and will be included almost every day, shouldn't someone have run it through a spell check?! How long until it's corrected? C'mon, make your guess! I'll start by saying not until April at the earliest - though if history is any indication, the error will reoccur until the paper's next makeover.

No he didn't

I refuse to believe that Henrik Sedin said what 24 hours Vancouver claims he said. I believe that the extra word is all the reporter's doing. From "Jackets no longer pushovers" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 15, 2010.

Team is still singular

The folks at 24 hours Vancouver have yet to realize that team is singular, and therefore bring should be brings. From "Hot holiday handbags"on December 15, 2010.

Making written language a victim

A 28-year-old victim requires hyphens, but a victim who is 28 years old does not. A professional writer should know that. From "Closure for child predator case" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 14, 2010. Also, in the article's photo caption,

face should be faces.

Take a close look at your writing

That apostrophe should not be in its in "Drive-in volcano more entertaining than a movie" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 14, 2010.

A small T please

From the Yahoo! Canada homepage on December 14, 2010.

Lacking class

An L is still missing from the classifieds section in 24 hours Vancouver; the above image is from December 10, 2010.

Hily crap!

From "Man 'flat as a pancake' survives landslide" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 13, 2010.

Put it in

When a sentence is contained entirely within parentheses, then the end punctuation goes before - as opposed to after - the closing parenthesis. See above for how not to do it. From "Depp explores 'normalcy' in new flick" in 24 hours Vancouver on December 9, 2010.

Still looking like an ass

Oh boy. When 24 hours Vancouver had a makeover a few months ago, a regular error came to a sudden stop. I had thought all was well (at least where the paper's classifieds section is concerned), but on December 9, 2010, I discovered that it's not actually the classifieds section at all - it's the cassifieds section. "Most trusted"? Ha!

Oprah's peaks

The peak-for-peek error displayed above was seen on the Yahoo! Canada homepage today. Usually when I spot an error on the homepage, it is correct in the actual article, but

that's not the case this time. Above is the first sentence in "Canada to preview Oprah Winfrey's OWN before debut" on Yahoo! Canada News on December 7, 2010. Click an image to enlarge it.

Make an S disappear

I've recently realized that the daily "Street talk" feature in 24 hours Vancouver apparently just showcases the Urban Dictionary "Word of the Day" from the previous day. I knew they were from Urban Dictionary, but I thought someone at 24 hours picked (a clean) one at random - I didn't know that Urban Dictionary actually featured one. Yesterday's "Dungeon Tan" in 24 hours Vancouver had a definition that was almost exactly the same as Urban Dictionary's. Today, though, the paper's definition seen above is decidedly different from the Urban Dictionary definition; disappear - misspelled or not - is not in the latter. Can't try to pass the blame buck this time, 24 hours.

Grisly journalism

I saw the above on a FAIL Blog post this morning. While the fail focused on crime scene investigators, the first thing I noticed was that grizzly should be grisly. My search for the actual article to screen capture the error in its native habitat came up empty, but

I found a different error in a slightly different paragraph (from in "Police chief investigates 'most grisly murder in 35 years' before discovering blood-spattered scene is a horror movie set" on Mail Online on December 2, 2010). Blyth wouldn't have actually said "his 35 years" because he was talking about himself, yet according to the article that's exactly what he said. Also, did he say "of law enforcement" or "in law enforcement"? Click an image to enlarge it.

Add (a D) and you shall receive (a post on this blog)

Add should be ad and recieve should be receive in this Salt & Pepper Grill advertisement in The Vancouver Courier on December 3, 2010. While we're here, it'd be better if the were this.

By George, you don't got it

While there is a George Street in Vancouver, it's only one block long and - located near the intersection of Clark Drive and Venables Street - isn't exactly close to the Santa Claus Parade route. The parade was, however, on Georgia Street for about half the distance (and on Howe Street for the remaining distance). From "Santa puts on a show" in today's 24 hours Vancouver.

Not enough care

It's obvious to anyone who cares - so nobody at 24 hours Vancouver - that to should be too. From "Street talk" in today's paper. Here's the thing: the definition above is almost exactly the same as the definition on Urban Dictionary. Key word, almost. A change was made, but an error remains; the first word got capitalized, but the word to got left alone.

Should have been proofread

I often see the word of being written when it should be have, as in he should of known better, but I do believe this is the first time I have ever seen have written when it should be of. From "James resigns as B.C. NDP leader" on CBC News online on December 6, 2010. Click the image to enlarge it. The text of the above excerpt has been revised since I employed the screen capture, but the error remains.

Writing disasters

The first sentence from the PSD on Facebook post on Photoshop Disasters is fine. Then along comes the second sentence that is held together with oodles of awfulness. Compare what's there with this: The PSDs that we upload to our page are unique and pretty entertaining; I encourage you to check out the site. The third sentence should be completely free of apostrophes; do not use an apostrophe to form a plural. Also, in the sidebar is this poll:

How often do you think you'll visit PSD after seeing all these writing errors? Click an image to enlarge it.

Doling out more errors

See that word dolling up there? Yeah, it's not a word. A quick spell check would have caught that. The word the writer (of "Mayor Robertson an acolyte of global green plutocrats" in The Vancouver Courier on December 1, 2010) wanted was doling. Then,

see that period at the very end of the above excerpt? It's supposed to go before the closing parenthesis, because the entire sentence - in fact, the entire paragraph - is contained within the parentheses.

Elsewhere, a clueless writer wanders free

There needs to an a second hyphen in a 34-year-old man above (from "Coquitlam bar brawl injures 3" on CBC News online on December 5, 2010) and the single letter word a in front of 35-year-old woman below.

At least both hyphens are present this time. Click an image to enlarge it.

I don't believe it

What on Earth goes on at 24 hours Vancouver every day?! This is from "By the numbers" on December 2, 2010, and somehow astronermers (astronomers?) got typed out by a writer (human?), slipped through a spell check (happened?), and got by a proofreader (drunk?). It makes me laugh, but it also makes me angry.

Will while get fixed?

Wow. Will and while aren't even close to the same spelling, and yet one is written as the other in this opening sentence to "Judge orders release of video of guard kicking homeless man in Ottawa police cells" on Yahoo! Canada News on December 2, 2010. What's also remarkable is that I spotted this error at 3:30 p.m. on December 1, 2010, and the article's publishing time stamp is 12:20 a.m. on December 2, 2010. There's a name attached to the article, but as of 2 p.m. December 4, 2010, the error remains.

One out of three = fail

Leslie Nielsen's last name gets preferential treatment right off the bat, but then quickly gets mangled twice. Also, the movie titles should be either italicized or in quotation marks. From "Twitter trends" in 24 hours Vancouver on November 30, 2010.