I absolutely love my job! I love everything about it. Seriously! It takes up a lot of my time, but secretly, I’d like to have a side job. And I don’t think it would take up too much of my time.
Wondering what it would be? Well, I’d like to proof menus for restaurants BEFORE they are printed with errors. It is shocking to me how many menus have errors on them. Spelling errors, spacing errors, instances of inconsistency … sometimes whole words are missing! Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of menus out there with mistakes. And they’re mistakes that I think could have and should have been caught. I’d really like to help!
Our Art Director often jokes that I have an eagle eye when it comes to spotting errors. It must be my work at the magazine that makes me keen to noticing these errors on menus while dining out. I am often the only one at the table that notices, or maybe I should say, the only one who points it out. After I choose my meal, I can’t help but read through the menu searching for more. Usually when there is more than one error, there are lots. A friend suggested once that I highlight the errors and secretly give it to the waiter. While I would be trying to help, somehow I think the kitchen staff may not agree.
There are some words that seem to trip up a lot of restaurants, which I don’t really understand, since they are, in fact, restaurants. Common misspellings include: Caesar, Reuben, vinaigrette, balsamic, avocado and broccoli. I can’t imagine what may happen if hors d’oeuvres was the norm on the menu, instead of the more easy to spell word, appetizer. I’ve seen desert offered, instead of dessert, more than once. I don’t think anyone would want to actually order a piece of the Sahara or Mojave Desert as their end-of-the meal treat. And I don’t think it would go well with coffee.
Upon reading some of the errors, I can’t help but giggle: like when an Italian restaurant misspells the word Italian on their menu. Seriously?! Seems like there should be kind of homeland penalty assigned. No flag for you! Or a few years ago, when I saw a local place offering a lovely salad topped with crap, I could barely stifle my laughter. Somehow I don’t think it was a top seller!
Now don’t get me wrong, I know that restaurants are super busy and I certainly wouldn’t presume that we don’t have any errors that appear in our magazine. I’m sure we do. Maybe I find it more appealing because I think it would take less time to proof a menu, than a magazine. I think I’d even be willing to take a quick look at a restaurant’s menu in exchange for a lovely meal. Doesn’t that sound like a delicious exchange! I think I’m on to something here…
So…here’s your assignment, readers. Next time you are out to dinner, check out the menu and let me know if you notice any typos. No need to embarrass the restaurant or point it out to the waiter. Just let me know, so I know I’m not alone in noticing.
