Thursday, March 25, 2010

Augum* (for Augment*, Argument*)

Ah, gum. Who doesn't love gum? You'll get no argument here, chum. Yum, yum, um, yum. The first time I quit smoking, it was with the blessed succor of Carefree Sugarless Wintergreen Bubblegum. Nowadays, I'm anti-aspartame and more into "health food gum," especially the kind with Xylitol in it. (Hint: it's more natural than it sounds.) Getting rid of one's gum is always a bit of a challenge, usually done solo and even a little stealthily. But clearly there is an id-like joy in simply pulling it out and squishing it onto a large mass of other people's. And Seattle, it seems, is just the place to do it. (Although Bubblegum Alley in California is older and deserving of a visit if you're blowing through town). According to Wikipedia, the Chewing Gum Wall was named one of the "top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009, second to the Blarney Stone." While you chew on the idea of august and augmented gum, try and get rid of any samples of today's typo still sticking to your catalog. (We found 29 cases of Augum* in OhioLINK, a few of which look like correctly spelled foreign ones.)

(Detail from the Wall, Pike Place Market, Seattle, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Click pic for better view of the chewed!)

Carol Reid

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