PIT BEEF SAT.
Last summer these three words graced the side of our local bar/restaurant, emblazoned on a shiny vinyl sign for all to see. This establishment does a good business, serves above average fare, hosts live music on weekends, and pours plenty of cold brew. Unfortunately, signage is not one of their strengths, and this sign leaves the writer with several questions.
Just where did that pit beef sit? Did it prefer an inside table or a place on the porch? A more apt question might be whether pit beef sits at all? Did it once “sit” but sits no longer?
Yes, I know. What the sign maker meant was that on Saturday the restaurant serves pit beef. Perhaps there was a word limit? Likely they were going for readability and figured abbreviating the day of the week was a satisfactory compromise.
It’s just a sign, right? Well, yes and no. This simple sign is a good reminder of the power of words. Clarity, grace, correct grammar, and good punctuation matter–even in something as simple as a sign on side of a tiny local establishment. Folks notice what we say and how we say it. All it takes is one tiny inartfully placed period to muddle a meaning or give snarky writers like me a cheap laugh.
Maybe someone pointed out this punctuation perplexity to the owner because a new sign is posted this summer:
BIKERS WELCOME
No period at all graces the new sign. There’s even a picture of a couple of motorcycles to clarify just what kind of bikers are welcome. Guess you Tour de France hopefuls better look for another place to wet your whistle.
Photos by Elvire.R. and Marcus Murphy used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!
Is there really a thing called “pit beef”?
Hi, Laura. Yes, pit beef is a real dish on the US East Coast. Here are a couple of links:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2289361_make-pit-beef.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2000/06/28/dining/how-to-say-barbecue-in-baltimore.html
I’m from the South, so the two types of barbeque common in central PA are different from what I’m used to eating. There’s the Maryland Pit Beef (really grilled not smoked) and “barbeque” (like a sloppy joe, made with ground beef and sauce). Neither one can touch real Southern barbeque in this humble writer’s opinion, although pit beef is not without its charm when prepared correctly.
Funny! I like these small errors and omissions that cause some of us to speculate
Thanks, Tammy! I saw a new blooper sign today that I’ll be sharing soon.