Blooperstown

July 30, 2006 6:16 AM

Bruce Sutter's Hall of Fame plaque notes that he ..."lead the league in saves five times." Is this a typo? Or this one of those things that can go either way? ("led" or "lead" for the past tense of "lead")
posted by stupidsexyFlanders to grab bag (14 comments total)

It is a grammatical error (and it's very charitable of you to assume it's a typo.)

"Led" is the past tense (and the past participle) of "lead," end of story.

My wife, a compulsive copyeditor, spots errors like this in ephemeral printed matter (newspapers, menus) and more permanent emplacements (commemorative plaques, etc.) all the time.

(She backs me up on this one, by the way)
posted by enrevanche at 6:41 AM on July 30, 2006

Since the question has been answered, is it OK if I point out that I once won a trophy that says "Fisrt Place"?
posted by danb at 6:43 AM on July 30, 2006

Did you receive the trophy for winning a spelling bee, danb?
posted by LinnTate at 6:49 AM on July 30, 2006

I was watching a race on TV yesterday and the on-screen overlay proudly announced they were on the "forth lap".
posted by Thorzdad at 7:22 AM on July 30, 2006

LinnTate - Hah, if only! It was for a debate tournament. [picture]
posted by danb at 7:48 AM on July 30, 2006

On a local news channel recently, the overlay claimed they were reporting live from "Hoor River County." That would be Hood, actually.
posted by peep at 9:02 AM on July 30, 2006

danb writes "Since the question has been answered, is it OK if I point out that I once won a trophy that says 'Fisrt Place'?"

You won Majority Leadership of the Senate???
posted by orthogonality at 9:11 AM on July 30, 2006

Could have been worser. It could have read, "leaded the league..."
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:37 AM on July 30, 2006

I've notice a similar issue with "plead." Newspapers always seem to use "pleaded" for past tense instead of "pled" or "plead."
posted by davcoo at 11:26 AM on July 30, 2006

Do you have the exact text of the plaque, or a link to a photo of it (I could only find a photo of the top part, without the writing)? It occurs to me that it could say "[Sutter] went on to lead the league in saves five times," in which case it would be grammatically correct.
posted by cerebus19 at 11:41 AM on July 30, 2006

Scratch that. I just found the text, and it's wrong.
posted by cerebus19 at 11:46 AM on July 30, 2006

I've notice a similar issue with "plead." Newspapers always seem to use "pleaded" for past tense instead of "pled" or "plead."

According to the American Hertiage Dictionary, the use of 'pleaded' in this context is grammatically correct -- and besides, in 'proper' English (I say with tongue firmly in cheek) 'pleaded' is the only correct usage. So whether a (US-based) publication uses one or the other would be a house style issue.
posted by macdara at 1:31 PM on July 30, 2006

"My wife, a compulsive copyeditor, spots errors like this in ephemeral printed matter (newspapers, menus) and more permanent emplacements (commemorative plaques, etc.) all the time."

Like when they put up a 9/11 memorial and couldn't even get the date right?
posted by AmbroseChapel at 8:17 PM on July 30, 2006

To my knowledge it has to be "led", never "lead". Now, does someone want to tell me why the past tense of "read" isn't spelled "red"?
posted by drmarcj at 8:36 PM on July 30, 2006