English FAIL Blog

if they have slightly damaged items, it’s pretty common, or at least i’d say permissible, to call them “gently abused” and reduce the price.

unless you’re referring to “everyday,” which should be “every day,” but that seems like a stretch.

What’s the fail?

I know I shouldn’t reply to my own comment. After thinking about it, my guess is the “fail” is the oxymoron “gently abused.” Of course, the point of an oxymoron is to introduce humor, often ostensibly unintended. So that couldn’t be considered a “fail.” So what’s the fail?

I don’t see the fail either. It’s a dumb sign, but not a fail…

Maybe the adverb “gently” could apply to both “abused” and “reduced”? So one could read it “Gently reduced and abused”? How would you fix that?

Well, everyday/every day have completely different meanings so as far as I’m concerned, that’s a fail, but also a capitalization fail, I think.

“Gently Abused” sounds like some kind of fetish.

I don’t think it’s a capitalization fail, since “Gently Abused and Reduced” could be the title of the cart. *shrug*

Generally speaking, abuse is not gentle. Therefore, fail. =)

Meh. This one is more a “C, try harder next time” than an outright fail, IMHO.

Right. But in this case I think it’s supposed to be a deliberately humorous oxymoron. As I’ve said about other “fails” before, jokes shouldn’t be considered “fails” even if we don’t find them funny.

“A lot” is two words.

My spouse was wearing that sign when I first met her.

WHAT A BARGAIN

yeah but I don’t think the staff at this particular grocery store were attempting to be humorous……

yes…and the spacing between the “a” and “Lot” implies that it is two words. granted, the “Lot” is capitalized….

I think this is just a case of odd wording and not an outright failure, but “gently abused” is a very peculiar way to advertise an item and I sincerely doubt this was the store’s attempt at humor…..”gently used” is the term that is usually applied to such items. wouldn’t you rather buy something “gently used” than something “gently abused?” what does that even mean??? The previous owner beat the shit out of it, but then later apologized??

Save-A-Lot is the name of the grocery store. We have them around the St. Louis area. What you see on the sign is their official logo.

No comment on the “Gently Abused and Reduced” debate.