Does bad grammar make you (sic)? 
04:57 PM PST on Tuesday, March 4, 2008
SEATTLE - Do you cringe when you see a sign on the front of a house proclaiming that "The Johnson's" reside there? Does the phrase "Her and I" make you want to tear your hair out?
SPOGG
SPOGG members submit examples of grammangling.
Fear not. You are not alone. There are others out there like you. They're members of the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar ( SPOGG), a Seattle-based organization created by writer/columnist Martha Brockenbrough.
Brockenbrough, a columnist with Microsoft's Encarta Web site, says she started SPOGG to make grammar fun and funny.
"It's not about talking as though you've got the posterior stick syndrome. It's about knowing what words mean and how to use them," she said.
Brockenbrough says she doesn't go around correcting everyone she comes in contact with. But, she says, when someone is making an error that could be embarrassing, on a resume or on a public sign, for example, it's only right to gently alert the person to the error.
"It's sort of like having your zipper down," she says. "Would you rather someone took you aside and said, 'Hey, the barn door is open,' or would you rather get home after a long day and discover the sad state of your fly?"
SPOGG
"In Seattle, we take our grammar seriously. We even correct our graffiti," says SPOGG creator Marcha Brockenbrough.
The SPOGG Web site features all things grammar, from grammar tips and a quiz, to "Grumpy Martha's Guide to Grammar and Usage."
There's also a place for grammarians to send in photos of "apostrophe catastrophes" and other language missteps.
"Sometimes when people screw up it's really stinking funny," said Brockenbrough.
Brockenbrough and the 6,000+ SPOGG members will be celebrating National Grammar Day on March 4. SPOGGers are encouraged to "march forth and spread the word" about good grammar.
Brockenbrough said some SPOGGers are planning office potlucks. What to serve? Anything high in fiber - it's good for the colon. (Rim shot goes here).
In connection with Tuesday's festivities, Brockenbrough will unveil the winner of the SPOGG Award for Most Appalling Celebrity Grammar.
The finalists:
AP
President George W. Bush is a finalist for the SPOGG Award for Most Appalling Celebrity Grammar.
- President George W. Bush, for not knowing the plural of the word "child." Brockenbrough cites two incidents. While running for president, Bush asked, "Is our children learning?" Then, on Sept. 26, 2007, he proved that this wasn't a fluke when he said, "Childrens do learn."
- Paris Hilton, for sending Lindsay Lohan a text message that read "i chill with perez, but not enough for your name to get broughten up."
- Courtney Love, for her incoherent ramblings on her blog. As Brockenbrough writes on the SPOGG Web site, "It's not even English she's writing."
"The truth is," says Brockenbrough, "people do judge you when you have bad grammar. Hiring managers in England say the thing that annoys them most on resumes is bad grammar. You can't get a decent SAT score any more without good grammar ... and plenty of people use bad grammar as a reason to reject your personal ad outright. It matters in every arena."
SPOGG
Submit your own example of grammar mishaps to the SPOGG Web site.
Brockenbrough has written a book on the subject. Titled "Things That Make Us (sic)," it's set to be released in October.
Brockenbrough will celebrate National Grammar Day at St. Cloud's restaurant in Seattle's Madrona neighborhood.
"It’s Seattle’s most literary restaurant, named for the Cider House Rules," she said.
She will be there between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., sipping a "grammartini."
"Citizens in Seattle who love grammar are welcome to come," she said. "I'll be there with a red pen."







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