Tuesday, February 8, 2011

What's with all the words?

I dropped my car off today for a service. During the short wait for the courtesy bus, I glanced below the T.V. to see a laminated sign upon one of the cabinet doors, which read "KIDS TOYS ENCLOSED".

Isn't that just a little too formal - and unnecessarily wordy.

Putting aside the missing apostrophe - and to be honest, I can't recall whether it really was missing, I'm just guessing it was because I've seen so many unnecessary apostrophes inserting themselves into plural word forms that I can only assume they've come from somewhere - as I was saying, putting aside the missing apostrophe, I would have assumed kid's toys. Adult toys is a term with a very specific meaning and not something I would expect to find within the waiting area.

Enclosed? Said toys were certainly not visible. The sign was on a cabinet door. Had I a desire to locate some toys to occupy and engage the mind, body and spirit of a youngling, I reckon I'd have fathomed the meaning without being beaten about the sensibilities by all this talk of enclosures.

Wouldn't "TOYS" have been, not only sufficient, but in some way more engaging?

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