In my line of work, grammatical errors are not only essential to job security, but also cause for very geeky celebration. I can’t count the number of times my colleagues and I have had a hearty laugh over something as nerdy as a hilarious misspelling, like a report advising someone to enhance their skillet (skill set) or referring to someone repeatedly as a handsome leader (hands-on).
Not long ago, one of my coworkers was reading aloud sections of a report that contained numerous and baffling mixed metaphors. She then asked how extensive we thought her editorial changes should be to the structure of the whole document.
“I don’t know how many hours you want to bill on this,” I said. “I’d say do what you can, but don’t dive in unless it’s on fire.”
She and I both realized it at the same time.
“Oh my god! Now I’m mixing my metaphors,” I said. “What’s wrong with me?”
Our other coworker slowly spun back to his computer screen.
“Well, you know what they say. You can’t make an omelette without breaking a few hearts.”