Thursday, March 17, 2011

Lucky Leprechaun Blog Hop


Thank you to Books Complete Me and I Am A Reader, Not a Writer for hosting this great blog hop!

This is my offering for this blog hop:

The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time by Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Herson
Published: August 2010 by Harmony
Pages: 288
Genre:Nonfiction
Audience: Adult grammar lovers


Description from Goodreads:
The world needed a hero, but how would an editor with no off-switch answer the call? For Jeff Deck, the writing was literally on the wall: “NO TRESSPASSING.” In that moment, his greater purpose became clear.  Dark hordes of typos had descended upon civilization… and only he could wield the marker to defeat them.

Recruiting his friend Benjamin and other valiant companions, he created the Typo Eradication Advancement League (TEAL). Armed with markers, chalk, and correction fluid, they circumnavigated America, righting the glaring errors displayed in grocery stores, museums, malls, restaurants, mini-golf courses, beaches, and even a national park. Jeff and Benjamin championed the cause of clear communication, blogging about their adventures transforming horor into horror, it’s into its, and coconunut into coconut.

But at the Grand Canyon, they took one correction too far: fixing the bad grammar in a fake Native American watchtower.  The government charged them with defacing federal property  and summoned them to court—with a typo-ridden complaint that claimed that they had violated “criminal statues.” Now the press turned these paragons of punctuation into “grammar vigilantes,” airing errors about their errant errand..

The radiant dream of TEAL would not fade, though.   Beneath all those misspelled words and mislaid apostrophes, Jeff and Benjamin unearthed deeper dilemmas about education, race, history, and how we communicate. Ultimately their typo-hunting journey tells a larger story not just of proper punctuation but of the power of language and literacy—and the importance of always taking a second look.


Contest Rules:
  • Must be 13 years or older to enter
  • Open to U.S. residents only
  • You are not required to be a follower to enter but it is greatly appreciated
  • Starts March 17th, ends March 20th at 11:59 PM EST
How to enter:
Leave a comment explaining your biggest grammar pet peeve (don't forget to leave me your email so I can contact you if you win!)


In addition to the standard using the wrong version of there, their, they're or your and you're, my biggest grammar pet peeve is when grown adults write "would of" instead of would've or use possessives when they're supposed to use plurals. Drives me absolutely bonkers! :o)


Don't forget to visit all the other participating blogs:



89 comments:

  1. Following!

    My biggest pet peeve is when people confuse affect with effect, and their with there.

    jonesmadelinee@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. My biggest grammar pet peeve is their, they're, there!
    amanda at midwesternmoms dot com

    ReplyDelete
  3. My biggest grammar pet peeve is using non-English phrases/sayings and not pronouncing the words correctly.
    nicolesender(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mine is when people add an "s" to the end of toward, backward, forward, etc. Once you've done that, it's not a word anymore.

    Another is using the word persons. The plural of person is people!

    reading_frenzy at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have quite a few but the biggest are: there, their, they're and to, too, two and you're and your. Makes me want to stab myself in the eye.

    twancopper [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  6. When people don't know how make items that end in a z or s possessive. Fitz's vs. Fitz'

    Which is it folks.

    suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. My biggest are there, their, & they're. Drives me crazy.

    gevin13{at}gmail{dot}com

    ReplyDelete
  8. I teach reading at an elementary school-imagine my day and the spelling errors I encounter! LOL
    tmdahle@centurytel.net

    ReplyDelete
  9. "Your" welcome drives me bonkers. I've seen this so much. I don't know why people can't distinguish between a contraction and a possessive.

    florida982002[at]yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a great prize - it reminds me of Aunt Josephine in The Wide Window.

    My pet peeve is when people drop pronouns, like so...

    Will come back Monday to see who wins. So thankful for the giveaway. Am following now. michelleteacress at gmail dot com

    Grr.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have a problem with people using tenses incorrectly. Since moving to NE Ohio I find everyone says, "I seen him yesterday." People "seen" so many things and it is akin to fingers on a blackboard for me!
    trixie420247 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  12. With FB so popular, there are sooo many grammar problems! And no one bothers to correct their posts?! A Lot is two words not one.
    There, their and they're are three separate words with different meanings. I could go on and on . . .

    ReplyDelete
  13. My biggest pet peeves are their, there, and they're and your and you're. It drives me crazy! I wish I could be one of those people who doesn't care, but it goes right through me! Haha

    kristen.novak09 (AT) gmail (DOT) com

    ReplyDelete
  14. My biggest grammar pet peeve is when people don't make sense and they spell words wrong. It drives me nuts!!

    swttie at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  15. your and you're.
    impatientlywishing at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. I have to go with the phrases "I says..." and "I seen"

    Kissyjensen at gmail dot. Com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I hate it when people say "each and every."

    Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D.
    stephaniesuesansmith@gmail.com
    http://stephaniesuesansmith.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. You're and your is my biggest peeve.
    mariahoverlock (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Run on sentences...that's a big pet peeve.

    Thanks for the chance to win!!

    jmluker (at) winco.net

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your and You're

    vidishamun@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  21. Can't stand: Her and I, conversate rather than converse, to and too, & misuse of possessive pronouns! Don't get me started on incorrect tenses!
    Thanks for a chance to win this wonderful giveaway!
    Best wishes,
    Chanticlear1atgmaildotcom

    ReplyDelete
  22. My biggest pet peeve is the usage of your and you're. Drives me crazy!
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    bangersis(at)msn(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  23. My biggest pet peeve is mispelled words. It makes me crazy.
    chaarmedone1512@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mine is people who constantly say you know in every sentence.

    slb3334@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  25. My dad read this book and thought I'd like it. But he had to give it away to someone else.

    My BIGGEST pet peeve is when people say "I seen him yesterday..." That bugs the crap out of me. It's "I saw him" or "I've seen him." There is no in between!

    brenna dot braaten at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. My biggest grammar pet peeve is definitely double negatives!! Argh!!

    christinaalmond at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. For some reason, mistakes with its and it's drive me crazy.

    dulcibelle [at] earthlink [dot] net

    ReplyDelete
  28. I absolutely despise getting invitations that say "Your Invited!" Ugh!

    Great giveaway! Thank you!

    fletch8502 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  29. A Great Giveaway!!! Thanks!!

    I hate commas, I myself do not know the correct way to use all commas. When I am reading, it really confuses me if the commas are there or not there.

    Judy
    magnolias_1[at]msn[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  30. I can't stand the To, two, too....omg!!!!
    drives me NUTS!!!!!!!!!!

    beejee77(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  31. One of my biggest pet peeves is something that my brother-in-law does frequently.

    When he is talking or writing about something he will use double verbs. An example of this would be "The problem was is that...." I can not handle when he does that. It does not even make any sense.

    wakelarunen {at} gmail {dot} com

    ReplyDelete
  32. lack of punctuation, specifically online. I can not read something without any periods, commas, etc!
    familyroom2@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. Mu biggest pet peeve is when people say "try and" instead of "try to"..but I could really list a hundred!

    mk261274@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  34. I would love to win this book - I'm an editor, and I have a feeling I would really resonate with this book.

    My pet peeves - I agree with Melissa's Meanderings - "try and" is a big one for me. Also confusing "nauseous" and "nauseated." And it's supposed to be "she riffled through the pages," not "she rifled through the pages."

    ReplyDelete
  35. My biggest pet peeve in grammar is when people mix up there, their, and they're, especially in ebooks! I can't really say that punctuation is my biggest, because I'm known to put too many commas in my sentences. Lydia at slitheringseamonster@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I hate when people use lie and lay in the wrong context. You lay things down and you lie down.

    mryward(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  37. My biggest pet peeve is when people use the words I and me incorrectly.

    mia at jacobsracing dot com

    ReplyDelete
  38. My biggest grammar pet peeve is when people use "was" instead of "were" as in "We was goin' to the mall." It drives me crazy!

    akreese (at) hotmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  39. I am like an investigative
    reader...and I seem to catch all grammar errors. I would like to be an grammatical editor.
    kjminspace@att.net

    ReplyDelete
  40. People who, for some reason, add apostrophes into every word with an s at the end. I'm not exactly perfect or strict when it comes to grammar, but come on, we learned what was wrong with that in the 3rd grade.

    kaleidoscopequeen at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  41. I guess I have two pet peeves. One is the misuse of commas, both putting them where they are not needed and leaving them out. My second is the phrase "you people" This is just crazy.

    lisasworldofbooks@charter.net

    ReplyDelete
  42. There, their, they're! captainliss40(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  43. I absolutely hate it when people confuse the homonyms. There, their, they're are three totally different things. It makes me cringe when I read principle and princiPAL used incorrectly. I don't know what elementary school they went to, but it must have been a waste of time.
    lindadao2060@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  44. I'm easily annoyed by spelling goofs.

    BookNoise at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  45. my biggest grammar pet peeve is when people use commas WAY too much. It gives me a headache to read those papers @_@

    anyways, thanks so much for the giveaway!

    alicia.aatran@yahoo.com
    http://dystopiandesserts.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  46. I hate the your/you're confusion, along with to/too, their/there/they're, etc. Drives me batty...any misspelling also makes me kind of crazy...take a moment and proofread people...awesome giveaway by the way...

    methirteenATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  47. i hate when people say ain't!
    pkeintz@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  48. Mine:
    their, there, & they're
    its & it's
    you're & your
    "would of" instead of would've (applies to "could" as well)
    two, too & to

    And my favorite: "Supposibly" for supposedly. IT'S NOT EVEN A WORD!

    jenniferlynnadams(at)gmail.com
    The Bawdy Book Blog

    ReplyDelete
  49. My biggest is probably the "tenses", e.g. did vs. done.

    nfmgirl AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I really hate run on sentences... there are these things called periods... use them.

    katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  51. I really hate when people use the wrong "too, to, two"

    loveangel132@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  52. I hate when people confuse "your" and "you're" - it drives me nuts!!!!

    babblingbookworm@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  53. I hate when people use an apostrophe when the word is plural not possessive.
    rickimc[at]aol[dot]com

    ReplyDelete
  54. Ooh - awesome, please enter me!

    My biggest grammar annoyance is when people say: "It peaked my interest" instead of, "it piqued my interest." Sigh.

    ReplyDelete
  55. I have when people write "your" when they mean to write "you're" or "it's" when it should be "its".

    Amy // artsyrockerchick at aim dot com

    ReplyDelete
  56. My two biggest grammar pet peeves are "you're" vs. "your" and really ridiculous run-on sentences. Use some punctuation people!

    Thanks for the giveaway! :)

    jmartinez0415 [at] gmail [dot] com

    ReplyDelete
  57. I see this all the time. I hate when people say "I seen it". YOU WHAT...YOU SAW IT? Ick. Hate.

    TaraTagli at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  58. OMG. THIS IS EASY. I EDIT ESSAYS AND I ALWAYS SEE PEOPLE SAY SOMETHING LIKE, "the person that". It's not the person THAT!!! It's the person WHO!!! A PERSON IS NOT A THING FOR GOSH'S SAKE. I could go on and on about this (my friends call my the grammar Nazi ;P ) but I won't bore yo guys. Thanks for the giveaway!

    hsiu_an(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  59. I admit I used to be a grammar nazi. Then I had a son that had severe learning disabilities. After seeing how hard he struggled, I couldn't do it anymore. My one pet peeve now, is the use of made up words or words that are purposely spelled wrong.
    twoofakind12@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  60. I hate it when people add an extra pronoun. I hear sportscasters do it all the time, for some reason. Example: "Coach John Madden, he is afraid to fly so has his own bus." Drives me NUTS.

    JHS
    Colloquium

    jhsmail at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
  61. I hate it when someone asks "where you at?" What ever happened to "where are you?"

    ReplyDelete
  62. I get peeved at the Their/they're/there mixups as well as the your/you're ones, and apostrophe misuse in general.

    meredithfl at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  63. I hate double negatives!

    -Michelle

    chelle2006(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  64. My biggest pet peeve is definitely incorrect usage of their/there/they're and your/you're, etc. It absolutely drives me crazy!!

    ReplyDelete
  65. I dislike texting spellings. It drives me up the wall now that my husband has started using them in regular emails.
    maryinhb at gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  66. There are certainly a lot of grammar errors. I think a big pet peeve for me is misuse of effect and affect.
    Thanks for the giveaway.
    mesreadsATgmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  67. I hate people using u instead of you, all sorts of the chat speak things, I just hate it.

    blissfulrains(at)yahoo(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  68. The following are a few of my grammar pet peeves:
    1. incorrectly using 'your' instead of the contraction 'you're'
    2. using 'irregardless' (which really isn't a standard word) instead of 'regardless'
    3. incorrectly putting an apostrophe in the possessive its
    4. incorrect use of lay/lie, I/me, a/an effect/affect, principle/principal, and hanged/hung

    I think I would enjoy this book :-) Thank you for the chance.

    blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  69. My biggest grammar pet peeve is their, they're, there

    khyla_808ATyahooDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  70. My biggest grammar pet peeve is when people confuse their with there. Seriously?

    heatheranne99 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  71. The grammar pet peeve that drives me nuts is how so many people use "your" when they mean "you're" or "you are" - It's not that difficult to learn the difference!

    safoga at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  72. I hate when they say "except" instead of "accept" or vice versa. wilsondev@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  73. Using an apostrophe when the word is plural NOT possessive.
    Thanks for the giveaway!
    angeidkelly at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  74. I also hate when people misuse there, their, they're or your and you're, etc., as well as using texting language when they are typing comments on facebook, etc. We all took spelling & grammar for a reason! jessicaannrobison@msn.com

    ReplyDelete
  75. When people mix up using They, Their, and They're, it drives me batty!

    kpuleski at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  76. I hate when people drop the g off of words that end with "ing". =/

    shakespeareanlover1215@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  77. I don't have a pet peeve. I'm just trying to improve my writing and grammar skills.
    notoriousspinks@gmail.com
    I follow you

    ReplyDelete
  78. Your and You're bug me. I also will not to respond to anyone who uses dem/them, wuz/was, u/you, R/are, dat/that, dis/this...I think you get the point.

    GFC: Dominique S
    couponcookie at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  79. i hate when people mess up there, their and they're and its and it's... it's not that hard!!
    heatheranya at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  80. My biggest pet peeve is the misuse of the apostrophe. It drives me crazy at work.

    Mare
    tommygirl828 (at) gmail (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  81. OMG! The people at work would die laughing if I won this book since I'm known as the "Grammar Queen" because I'm a stickler for grammar. I would love to get my hands on this book! I think my biggest grammar pet peeve is the incorrect usage of tenses such as came/come, did/done, brung/brought, etc. Drives me nuts!

    BornajhawkATaolDOTcom

    ReplyDelete
  82. I am a typo waiting to happen. So, I can't throw stones.....

    Thanks for the giveaway.

    mary_reiss @ hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  83. It really bugs me when people don't know how to use their, they're and there correctly, as well as your and you're.

    the imagine tree at aol dot com

    ReplyDelete
  84. My biggest grammar pet peeve is when people use "your" and "you're" wrong. It drives me crazy!

    allieclark11(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  85. When people comfuse there, their, and they're.


    clarkmurdock@yahoo.com


    ..and I just realized the girl above me has the same pet peeve.

    ReplyDelete
  86. I can't STAND it when people use your/you're inappropriately....drives me NUTS. So, imagine my dismay when I (yes, "I") posted this on my Facebook Status: "You ask and I make it happen. I'm you're freakin' Fairy Godmother."

    And, my DAUGHTER, had to correct me...in a comment!!! *shame* lol

    ReplyDelete
  87. Besides seeing "!!!1!" I get so irritated when I see "should of" rather than "should have," and spelling errors in typed essays. I mean, it's like, You're typing the essay, would it kill you to use spellcheck? Because I hate to break it to you but "necessarily" is not spelled "neseserily."

    amy408(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  88. My biggest pet peeve is comma's not being used properly. Or apostrophes. Also, when people can't spell things! Spell check, people.

    emo.hijabi@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  89. I can't stand when people don't spell out words fully. Like, if they say 'wat' instead of what..

    vokalchick@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete