Canning or caning? Singaporeans spot typo on police notice

SINGAPORE: “SPF may need a new proofreader,” declared a Redditor who shared on Wednesday evening (Jan 22)  a spelling error on a police notice, eliciting quips and comments from eagle-eyed Singaporeans.

“Rioting is punishable with imprisonment of up to seven years and canning,” the notice read. Singaporeans who spotted the typo were amused.  According to the Redditor, the sign was found around Fortune Centre. Containing more than one error, the sign doubled down on the typo. The bottom portion of the panel read, “Jail term may extend to 10 years and canning if weapon is involved.”

Many took notice of the post and made a beeline for the comments section. A handful of people rode on the joke, such as one who wrote, “I mean, boiling someone and stuffing them into a small tin as a punishment is probably an effective deterrent.” Another shared, “Labour shortage. You’ll be placed in a canning factory to work an assembly line.”

A third even reasoned: “They aren’t wrong… A long jail term would naturally mean you’ll be canned from your job.”

Still, one commenter wrote, “It was spelt wrong twice. It seems like the writer failed English rather than it being a typo.”

In similar news, a handwritten sign in a supermarket also caught the attention of online users. On a box of carbonated beverages was a sign that read “out of order”. Many pointed out that the supermarket staff should have written “out of stock”. Though the two phrases seem similar, they carry different meanings. While “out of stock” means that an item or product is currently not available, “out of order” means that something is not functioning correctly (e.g. a vending machine).

The spelling error on the SPF sign caused merriment. Quips aside, canning vs. caning: What’s the difference? According to the National Center for Home Food Preservation of the University of Georgia, canning involves sealing food in airtight containers such as glass jars or metal cans.

On the other hand, caning is a form of physical punishment which involves hitting someone with a cane.

One online user even added another similar error that he spotted on another police sign. “I once saw a signboard of the police post missing some letters, which either faded or dropped off. “Neighbourhood police post” became “neighbourhood lice post.

See also: Would you feel offended if someone corrected your English grammar?