Thursday, May 29, 2008

Whom comes up with this stuff?

A certain daily newspaper published in the largest city in Victoria County has a help-wanted ad on a journalism job site, to-wit:
The Victoria Advocate is holding auditions for a talented digital designer to join our motivated team. This person will work along with the companies cool people to help design professional looking online solutions for Victoria Publishing Co.

Emphasis mine there on 'companies.' The author thereof was apparently stabbing at 'company's' and hit 'companies.' They sound the same, so clearly either spelling serves. I actually expect no better than than from the poor ol' Vicad.
Another oddment of verbal malpractice that's been showing up lately and galling me is the way people use 'whom' on postings.
A couple I've randomly copied lately included, "There is not one single topix thread that is not full of bashings. This is the new entertainment for idle hands, the housebound, the jobless, those whom are retired ..." and “I have noticed people here in El Paso whom post on CL ...” Must be some groundswell to simplify by abolishing the word 'who,' which is what you want for a subject in a clause.

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