Erudition: noun: great knowledge or learning – from Latin eudire “to instruct”

Erudition

From Disneyland to Universal and beyond, amusement parks have been built around themes. Busch Gardens in Virginia was dedicated to an American view of various European countries. The appearance of the attendants at the booths/rides suggested that they had been recruited from prestigious local bastions of erudition.

Always the grammarian, I was appalled to see, the Great Britain section,  a sign offering “His Majestie’s Balloons”. I proceeded to point out the error to the young man charged with selling said balloons. Apostrophes are the bane of existence for many English teachers. This egregious spectacle could not possibly have been more offensive if the sign painter had set his/her cap on sabotage. Patiently, I went through the options: “His Majesty’s Balloons” or even “Their Majesties’ Balloons.”  I finished by saying “I suppose every teacher who comes through here has been pointing this out to you.”  The clean-cut attendant responded with a blank stare – he had no idea what I had been talking about, and even less interest. We did not purchase a royal balloon that day.

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