May I be permitted to express my deep sadness that subscribers to this channel are now endorsing numerals as graphemes? Well, I just did so with no apology for the question. T. J. On Saturday 07/30/2011 at 11:01 am, Dick Veit wrote: > Scott, > > I don't think I'd call it stupid or asinine. It may not be brilliantly > clever, but it does make sense and contains wordplay, of at least the > typographical variety, with the "6" functioning as both the number and > the letter "S." It's a blend/portmanteau like "spork" and "brunch": > "$6 Savory..." becomes "$6avory...." From the commercial point of > view, it clearly got your attention, and that was undoubtedly the > merchant's intention. I'd give it a B or B- rather than an F. > > Dick > > > On Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 11:27 AM, Scott Catledge <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: >> >> >> >> I keep seeing a billboard that says the following: >> >> $6avory sandwiches (‘sandwiches’ is a substitute for the real >> word to avoid lawsuits). >> >> $6 would be pronounced /siks dollahrz/ but its placement in an >> adjectival position (nouns can be used as adjectives but not normally >> as adverbs modifying a word in the adjectival position before a noun) >> Indicates that /siks dollahr/ would be the expected pronunciation. [a >> six-dollar hamburger—not a six-dollars hamburger] The ad writer >> apparently wanted the final consonant of the word before avory to >> carry over; unfortunately, /siks dollah ravory/ makes no sense and >> /siks dollah zavory/ is equally asinine. It seems as of the person >> trying to be cute and eye-catching succeeded in catching >> attention—but a WTH reaction does not inspire me to eat there. >> The only comments that I have heard on the billboard are along the >> line of “Is that stupid or what?” None of the commenter were >> grammarians or linguists but they felt intuitively that the sign made >> no sense. They all seemed dismissive or irritated at the sign—none >> seemed amused. >> >> Would anyone like to comment or add another nomination for worse ad of >> the year? >> >> Scott >> >> Norman Scott Catledge, PhD/STD >> Professor Emeritus >> history & languages >> >> To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web >> interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.htmland select >> "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web > interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select > "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/