Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Those Pesky Homophones Will Get You Every Time
Today, we bookstore staff went out to lunch for our own version of a holiday party. We didn't go far, just to the shopping area across the street, where we went to a newish place called The Grape. As should be implied by the name, it's a wine bar that also happens to serve food. Despite lunch time customers like us, who did not drink at all, they really want to play up the wine aspect of their establishment, as witnessed by the signs over the doors.
The place has two entrances, you see. Over one, closer to the bar area, there is a sign that says "Tasting." Over the other, which turns out to be next to the great Wall of Wine, there is a sign that says "Seller."
"Seller?" I thought, "What, only vendors can go in that door? That makes no sense. The place isn't that big; it's just one room. Besides, wouldn't they go to the back?" And then we went in, by the wrong door, the "Tasting" door, of course, and I could see that there was in fact a big Wall of Wine on that side of room, and it became clear that the sign should have said "Cellar."
So my questions are these: Can no one who works there spell? If so, has no one told them their sign is wrong? Or was the sign so expensive that they can't afford another one with the proper word on it?
In case you were wondering, beyond their vocabulary challenges, the food was fairly good, but the service seems dedicated to preserving the Slow Food movement. I have no idea about their wines, because I hate the taste of it and most alcohols, but I can tell you that they have a nice, highly complex rating scale that they'd love to explain.
Today, we bookstore staff went out to lunch for our own version of a holiday party. We didn't go far, just to the shopping area across the street, where we went to a newish place called The Grape. As should be implied by the name, it's a wine bar that also happens to serve food. Despite lunch time customers like us, who did not drink at all, they really want to play up the wine aspect of their establishment, as witnessed by the signs over the doors.
The place has two entrances, you see. Over one, closer to the bar area, there is a sign that says "Tasting." Over the other, which turns out to be next to the great Wall of Wine, there is a sign that says "Seller."
"Seller?" I thought, "What, only vendors can go in that door? That makes no sense. The place isn't that big; it's just one room. Besides, wouldn't they go to the back?" And then we went in, by the wrong door, the "Tasting" door, of course, and I could see that there was in fact a big Wall of Wine on that side of room, and it became clear that the sign should have said "Cellar."
So my questions are these: Can no one who works there spell? If so, has no one told them their sign is wrong? Or was the sign so expensive that they can't afford another one with the proper word on it?
In case you were wondering, beyond their vocabulary challenges, the food was fairly good, but the service seems dedicated to preserving the Slow Food movement. I have no idea about their wines, because I hate the taste of it and most alcohols, but I can tell you that they have a nice, highly complex rating scale that they'd love to explain.
