2/17: Dopey store

Undertoad · 02-17-2002, 08:42 PM

This place is in Gladwyne, PA, a high-falutin' suburb of Philly, where many well-off folk live as well as a few who are only moderately well-off.

I was just driving through. I saw it. I had to go around the block.

The phrase is not "objects d'art", it's "objets d'art". Otherwise it's only half French.

Now, how many times per year do the store's owners get reminded of this error? Have they ever? Did they at some point decide just to leave it - and tell people they meant it to read that way?

Nothing But Net · 02-17-2002, 08:55 PM

Reminds me of those stupid tourist traps that try to lend themselves an air of elegance through gratuitous use of the letter 'e' suffix: i.e. 'Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe'.

Feh, I want to gag and giggle at the same time when I see one of those!

- 03#

Torrere · 02-17-2002, 09:37 PM

Heh, I noticed the spelling error pretty quickly =]

It looks to me like that wouldn't cost very much to fix, so they probably meant to have it that way.

Maybe they decided d'art would be obviously French and classy, but people might not know objets.

Shrug. Or perhaps it was introduced by whatever person made the sign for the store.

MaggieL · 02-18-2002, 01:36 PM

Clearly these people are not objets -oriented. (They may yet be polymorphic, though.)

I'm sure the error gets them a liitle more foot traffic than they might otherwise get. (hey, dd you know your awning is misspelled?") Imagine how shocked I am to learn that some of the toniness of the Main Line is phony....

Nic Name · 02-18-2002, 02:03 PM

I'm not sure it's a case of attracting those who notice the spelling error, as attracting those who wouldn't have a clue what "objets" are.

Note that a google search of "objects d'art" gets about 8,400 results, with many of these sites using the correct French in the actual website, but trying to attract a less informed audience.

I think that's the thinking behind the likely intentional use of Objects d'Art in the signage.

Bear in mind too, that this is the brand name, so they can adopt any spelling of a store name they think works for their audience. Brand names often depart from grammatical spelling, for effect. It is also common in the antiques biz to offer in one shop both common objects with true art and antiques, and this is probably the thought behind the branding.

"Profits the man who sells best, not the man who spells best." -- Jaguar

verbatim · 02-19-2002, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nothing But Net
Reminds me of those stupid tourist traps that try to lend themselves an air of elegance through gratuitous use of the letter 'e' suffix: i.e. 'Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe'.

"Ye Olde Systems Administrator"? hmmm......

warch · 02-19-2002, 03:57 PM

Along with Ye Olde Objects duh Art Shoppes there is also the marketing phenomema best described as "Pooh's Corner" syndrome. Bet you find some variant of the Object d'Pooh shoppe in every quaint sales area. Can't you smell the heady cocktail of candles, creams and soaps from here?

(that earns a pooh-cute graphic smile)

datalas · 02-26-2002, 05:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by verbatim

"Ye Olde Systems Administrator"? hmmm......

"Ye" is not correct English anyway, the word is derived from the old english letter combination of "thorn-e" where "thorn" ( I cannot remember if that is the correct spelling or thorn) was an old english letter meaning "th" in pretty much the same way as Germans have a double S character. The letter looked similar to a Y and if miss printed (as things often were) could easily be mistaken for one...

Hence "Ye" was / is / should always have been / willen be once mode always spelt / pronounced "the"

Datalas

MaggieL · 02-26-2002, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nic Name
I'm not sure it's a case of attracting those who notice the spelling error, as attracting those who wouldn't have a clue what "objets" are.

Those at *that* level of cluelessness would probably not *notice* the pseudo-missing letter "C".

elSicomoro · 02-26-2002, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MaggieL
I'm sure the error gets them a liitle more foot traffic than they might otherwise get. (hey, dd you know your awning is misspelled?")

There is a psychic who keeps shop over on Bustleton Ave. near Byberry Road. The sign out front says, "PYSCHIC READER."

If the spirits can't tell you that you're misspelling a word, how can I trust them to tell me the future?

(Incidentally, I probably wouldn't have noticed that misspelling...I'm clueless to French.)

MaggieL · 02-26-2002, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by sycamore

If the spirits can't tell you that you're misspelling a word, how can I trust them to tell me the future?

Ah, Grasshopper...that is how the word *will* be spelled in the future! Come in, come in, I have so much more to tell you!

MaggieL · 02-26-2002, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by warch
Bet you find some variant of the Object d'Pooh shoppe in every quaint sales area.

"[Children] sleep with Pooh on their sheets, they wipe their faces with Pooh as they get out of the shower..."

--- anti-Disney litigants resort to "dirty protest"

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,...047037,00.html (via http://www.ntk.net/ )

Obviously not the same showerhead as dham uses, but still...

elSicomoro · 02-26-2002, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MaggieL
Ah, Grasshopper...that is how the word *will* be spelled in the future! Come in, come in, I have so much more to tell you!

Yeah, if they know so much, what are they doing in a converted house in Somerton?

Tony, where is that place at? I'm going to go there and ask them if they know it's misspelled...just for shits and grins. Seriously though, I'd say it's mainly a play on words. It sounds "chic."

Undertoad · 02-26-2002, 11:12 PM

Y'know, I don't even know! I was coming back from a visit to an office in the area, and sometimes I'll just wing it. Going through the many little roads in the area of Montgomery Avenue, it must have been Narberth, not Gladwyne. But Streets and Trips doesn't turn up anything in its information database, the "superpages" yellow pages have no "scioscio" at all in the whole state. It's a mystery.

Nic Name · 02-26-2002, 11:22 PM

109 N Essex Ave
Narberth PA, 19072
610-660-5066

02-17-2002, 08:42 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	2/17: Dopey store This place is in Gladwyne, PA, a high-falutin' suburb of Philly, where many well-off folk live as well as a few who are only moderately well-off. I was just driving through. I saw it. I had to go around the block. The phrase is not "objects d'art", it's "objets d'art". Otherwise it's only half French. Now, how many times per year do the store's owners get reminded of this error? Have they ever? Did they at some point decide just to leave it - and tell people they meant it to read that way?

02-18-2002, 01:36 PM	#4
MaggieL in the Hour of Scampering Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Jeffersonville PA (15 mi NW of Philadelphia) Posts: 4,060	Clearly these people are not objets -oriented. (They may yet be polymorphic, though.) I'm sure the error gets them a liitle more foot traffic than they might otherwise get. (hey, dd you know your awning is misspelled?") Imagine how shocked I am to learn that some of the toniness of the Main Line is phony.... __________________ "Neither can his Mind be thought to be in Tune,whose words do jarre; nor his reason In frame, whose sentence is preposterous..."

02-18-2002, 02:03 PM	#5
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	I'm not sure it's a case of attracting those who notice the spelling error, as attracting those who wouldn't have a clue what "objets" are. Note that a google search of "objects d'art" gets about 8,400 results, with many of these sites using the correct French in the actual website, but trying to attract a less informed audience. I think that's the thinking behind the likely intentional use of Objects d'Art in the signage. Bear in mind too, that this is the brand name, so they can adopt any spelling of a store name they think works for their audience. Brand names often depart from grammatical spelling, for effect. It is also common in the antiques biz to offer in one shop both common objects with true art and antiques, and this is probably the thought behind the branding. "Profits the man who sells best, not the man who spells best." -- Jaguar Last edited by Nic Name; 02-18-2002 at 02:07 PM.

02-26-2002, 11:22 PM	#15
Nic Name retired Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,930	I can find it from here ... :) 109 N Essex Ave Narberth PA, 19072 610-660-5066

02-17-2002, 08:55 PM	#2
Nothing But Net Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Spring, Texas Posts: 1,481	Reminds me of those stupid tourist traps that try to lend themselves an air of elegance through gratuitous use of the letter 'e' suffix: i.e. 'Ye Olde Gifte Shoppe'. Feh, I want to gag and giggle at the same time when I see one of those! - 03#

02-17-2002, 09:37 PM	#3
Torrere a real smartass Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Kirkland, WA Posts: 1,121	Heh, I noticed the spelling error pretty quickly =] It looks to me like that wouldn't cost very much to fix, so they probably meant to have it that way. Maybe they decided d'art would be obviously French and classy, but people might not know objets. Shrug. Or perhaps it was introduced by whatever person made the sign for the store.

02-19-2002, 03:57 PM	#7
warch lurkin old school Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Minnesota Posts: 2,796	Along with Ye Olde Objects duh Art Shoppes there is also the marketing phenomema best described as "Pooh's Corner" syndrome. Bet you find some variant of the Object d'Pooh shoppe in every quaint sales area. Can't you smell the heady cocktail of candles, creams and soaps from here? (that earns a pooh-cute graphic smile)

02-26-2002, 11:12 PM	#14
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Y'know, I don't even know! I was coming back from a visit to an office in the area, and sometimes I'll just wing it. Going through the many little roads in the area of Montgomery Avenue, it must have been Narberth, not Gladwyne. But Streets and Trips doesn't turn up anything in its information database, the "superpages" yellow pages have no "scioscio" at all in the whole state. It's a mystery.

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