Proofreading

I have admitted that I am a bit of a grammar snob. This gets me into trouble sometimes, as it means that I have to be extra careful not to slip up myself. (It's one thing to be a grammar snob - quite another to be a hypocrite.) After correcting my husband numerous times, for instance, he has taken enormous pleasure on the rare occasion when I have misspoken. I can usually spot my mistake immediately, but once it comes out of my mouth, I have set myself up for ridicule. And good for him, really. The fact that he notices my errors is a huge step in the right direction. Progress, people.

I have principles when it comes to my grammar snobbery. When I see shoddy proofreading or sentence structure in advertising, for example, there's a good chance I will boycott the product or place altogether. I could not stand Applebee's slogan "Eatin' good in the neighborhood," because, of course, the correct statement would be "Eating well in the neighborhood." Because this is not a Rolling Stones song, I'm just not giving the writers creative license. I don't care that it rhymes. Those people in the board room can do better. (Thankfully, Applebee's has now adopted a grammatically correct slogan, which means I don't have to boycott it anymore. It turns out this is relevant, as Applebee's is one of about five restaurants in my new town. I simply will have no choice but to dine there on occasion.)

Today, I got the following promotional e-mail from two different people. It's probably a spam scam, but in case it isn't, I can already tell you that I'm just going to have to say no. It's like a Highlights for Children. Can you spot the many mistakes in this one?

"Dear friend,
i would like to introduce a good company who trades mainly in electornic products.Now the company is under sales promotion,all the products are sold nearly at its cost.They provide the best service to customers,they provide you with original products of
good quality,and what is more,the price is a surprising happiness to you!It is realy a good chance for shopping.just grasp the opportunity,Now or never!"

This is nails on a chalkboard for me. Absolutely no way, no how, would I EVER patronize this business.

Okay, off my soapbox now.