Grade D+

I’ve written elsewhere (“Missing and Presumed” at http://www.grammarianinthecity.com/?p=311) about dropping the letter D from expressions such as “grill cheese,” “old fashion,” and “never close, open 24/7.” This sign has the opposite problem:

Grilled and Deli Man

Grilled and Deli Man

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reflected light mars the photo, so to clarify, the store is hiring a “Delivery, Cashier, Grilled & Deli Man.” If I take the noun “man” as the center of this statement from a non-equal-opportunity- employer, the other words serve as modifiers. So the store seeks a “delivery man,” a “cashier man” (turning the noun “cashier” into an adjective), and a “grilled and deli man.”

The last phrase leads me to a couple of questions. Does an applicant have to submit proof that detectives placed him in a windowless room under a bright lamp where they grilled him for hours about, presumably, his qualifications for working in a deli? I can hear the boss now: “Pre-grilled applicants save interview time.” Or is the shop hiring a man who has spent some time over charcoal? I shudder at that last possibility. I shudder at the spelling/grammar error too, but less. Much less.

2 thoughts on “Grade D+

  1. Ellie Presner

    Hilarious! Here in Montreal we’re plagued with ads for “smoke meat,” which of course should be “smoked meat.” It’s even reached the point where we have a restaurant called “Smoke Meat Pete’s.” I should note, though, that it’s a great resto with cool ambiance: live blues, lots of wood, in a very rustic area. Oh, and in their radio ads, their tagline is “You can’t beat Pete’s meat.” Which you must agree is kind of special, huh? 😉

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