Dumbass 101

Thursday, February 16, 2006

It's no secret that my relationship with my supervisor has been headed downhill. This is a lovely example of the shit I get to swallow on a daily basis. This was a first draft of a letter I needed to write for a meeting.

I mean, seriously, is this the best you got?


23 Baleful Regards:

Anonymous said...

Ugh. I am a writer/editor type, but I don't believe in correcting people in the way she did it. If the essence of the letter was correct, she could have just left the minor edits for later -- and certainly spared you the grammar lesson. Sheesh.

Anonymous said...

Yes, and thank you for the very enlightening and not at all condescending explanations of usage, Dawn's boss.
I'm surprised she didn't use a red pen.

Woman with Kids said...

My boss once wanted to use the word 'and' 11 times in one sentance. So I rewrote it. She crossed out the corrected sentances and put back the ands. I tactfully explained that one should not use the word 5 billions times in one sentance in a contract. So she crossed out one 'and' and put in an ampersand. Very smart.

halloweenlover said...

bitch= one who has a stick shoved up her ass.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, as a boss that's a lesson I end up giving frequently to the people whose drafts I review. Lots of people confuse "its" and "it's" and if I can help them figure out which is correct and why (as opposed to just correcting them so they continue to get it wrong) I think I'm doing them a favor. (For the record, I think the easiest way to understand it is through the comparison with his and hers, also possesive pronouns that, like its, don't need an apostrophe). It's not like she said you're stupid.

So, I know you blog so people will say you're right to be upset and be all supportive and all that, but as a regular reader, I had to put in my $.02. There are no doubt lots of reasons to hate your boss, but I don't see that this is one.

Dawn said...

In general, I agree with you Ann. When I am writing - particularly free writing - I am lousy with my punctuation. I also like to capitalize everything - regardless of whether it deserves to be capitalized ot not.

I suppose it was the tone of voice in which this was done which was the twist of the knife. That clearly doesn't come through in a post.

That and the follow up email that said "Don't forget to give me a fresh copy. I still have the one with all the apostrophe's".

Mainly she does this to get my goat. Since I didn't jump at the cleavage remark, this was the follow up...

Dawn said...

Please also note my above mis-spelling of the word "To"

I am giggling at myself now.....

sweatpantsmom said...

Maybe you can reply:

'asshole' = singular
'assholes''= plural of YOU

Then again, I am feeling particularly cranky today,

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness. The snarkiness!

I love that you scanned it. So Dooce-y of you, you saucy thing.

mamatulip said...

The follow-up email would have really gotten me pissed.

Mama D said...

My grammar is terrible and I would hate to be in a position to be corrected. I take no responsibility and blame it all on my teachers who obviously didn't do their job. Actually, I blame the school board who didn't think grammar was an important part of the ciriculum.

Go Dawn Go!

Sugarmama said...

Reminds me of my mom at her semi-retirement job, which is coordinating fitness instructors at her local YMCA. She drew up a schedule of, like, 30 instructors' classes over a month, and her 23-year old boss sent her back her schedule with the red ink practically running off the edges. My mom was furious--she counted over 100 corrections of things like spacing in dates and the like. Fortunately, my mom is bad-ass and her boss knows not to take her for granted. My mom told her not to EVER do that to her again, and I kinda think she won't. Too bad you can't do that to your boss, eh? But you can blog about it!

Anonymous said...

My Mother In Law spent the summer after college in Europe with her sister and wrote back home to now Father in Law. You know, young love and all of that. He corrected them with red pen and mailed them back to her thinking he was hilarious

He thinks this is a funny story to tell. I think it speaks volumes. I never would have married him, myself, but it's a good thing she did or I'd never have their spawn, the most gramatically challenged dear I know.

Table4Five said...

If Ann is such a regular reader, why doesn't her name have a link to her blog or email address? Just wondering.

As for your supervisor, I agree she could have just circled the word and wrote "its" above it. I'm sure she thought she was helping but it did come across as snarky.

MrsFortune said...

Okay now ... I'm a junior high english teacher and I don't even do that stuff on first drafts. And I got a LICENSE to use a red pen! I mean I "have" a license.... you get the picture. :)

Anonymous said...

All right Dawn, the follow-up email from the boss has me convinced! And Elizabeth, odd as it may be, I actually don't have a blog and the comments function doesn't require--or even have a space for--an email address. But I am a fan nonetheless. (Oh, and I almost spelled "all right" wrong!)

Anonymous said...

I would just get a shirt made with an apostrophe on it that says "Who Really Needs Them Anyway When I'm Married to a Man Who Drives a Mercedes..." and walk around the office. :)

Julie Marsh said...

Ditto Beth - I am a grammar slut and I loved "Eats, Shoots and Leaves".

But her approach stinks. So pedantic and insulting.

Anonymous said...

Oh, no she didn't! Congratulations on not blowing up. I'm glad you have us to vent to.

Though, if she comments on your cleavage one more time, I wouldn't be able to resist telling her that she was verging on sexual harrassment, if I were you. I'm just sayin'.

Anonymous said...

I'm an editor and I don't pull shit like that. Especially on a first draft of a document. First drafts are all about content, not form. Duh, stupid supervisor.

This makes me unaccountably angry.

smussyolay said...

not saying that her approach wasn't shitty... but i've got to say, that the possessive s and the its conundrum are two of my pet peeves.

and i actually am a *first time* reader, so i'm not trying to be a asshole. but, i will say that i think it IS important for grammar and spelling to be correct. i don't it's no big deal.

it seems like she went out of her way to humiliate you. and i just came out of a job sitch which was horrid, so i get the whole 'dynamic' thing.

smussyolay said...

aah. "i don't *think* it's no big deal." boy, we're all pots and kettles today, ey?

Anonymous said...

I went to see Melissa Banks (of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and FIshing fame) give a talk/book signing and one of my favorite comments from her was about the editing process.

"Editing something as you're writing it is like punishing a kid while they're playing."

and while I'm on the subject, I just want to say to all the bloggers whose sites I comment on, I appreciate the latitide you guys give me and my horrible, no spell-checked typing. there have been some doozies, no?

(This comment brought to you by the genius of the non-proofreading me and the Numer 7)

 
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