Do you hear what I hear? Yes, ’tis a seasonal chorus of ’tis-the-seasoning. And ’tis just getting started.
From Madewell:
P.S.: The preferred spelling of “woolly” has two Ls.
From Jigsaw:
An additional demerit for the backward apostrophe on ’tis.
From Starbucks:
“It is three reasons”? It is bad grammar.
From Bacardi (spotted on Gawker):
Brand-name verbing (“to Bacardi”) duly noted.
From Verizon:
Downsized expectations: from “season” to “weekend.”
And many more examples to come, I have no doubt.
Here’s a timely caveat from John McIntyre about this most persistent of holiday clichés. He addressed it to newspaper editors, but it’s equally relevant for copywriters:
“’Tis the season”: Not in copy, not in headlines, not at all. Never, never, never, never, never. You cannot make this fresh. Do not attempt it.
He adds: “’Twasing is no more defensible than ’tising.”
And not only is it cliche, but it makes the typesetter in me despair to see so many opening single quotes where apostrophes are needed.
Posted by: Jonathon | November 30, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Drives you into a bit of a 'Tissy, doesn't it?
Posted by: Linnaeus | November 30, 2011 at 11:38 AM