But what if "whoa" is in fact what the original writer meant?

I like it better the original way.

bemoan the presses!

What if the original writer edited it him/herself

I think we're looking at the the way the graffiti originally went up, with both the original "whoa" and the correction. I think the only sin here in the writer's ruining the play on words by trying so hard to make his intention obvious.

Seriously, like I don't know how to spell my own name.

Doh! It looks like I don't know how to spell my own name.

This makes me very very happy.

The original was likely correct. Another Ballard transplant. "Whoa" is how "whore" is spelled in the northeast.

Maybe he (she) edited it after having been caught tagging?

Romanes Eunt Domus, to quote Monty Python.

I don't know if it's all from the same person or if the original whoa was intentional, but I love it either way. My favorite part? The little proofing "SP" mark above the correction to denote a spelling error. Hilarious!

Ballardites.

Ballardians are the street minstrels.

(former KCDCC alt for Ballard)

Reminds me of the scene from Life of Brian.

Someone should notify Grammar Girl: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/default.aspx

:o)

Grammar correction is a dish that is best served ... COLD.

thank you for posting that. it actually made me laugh out loud. nice way to end another boring day at work.

Nothing about that edit job looks like it was done by another person.

On an electrical box in my gym was sprayed , mysteriously, 'Irony?' On first look, it appeared to be someone's unimaginative attempt at tagging.

A closer inspection revealed a now-empty can of spray graffiti remover sitting on top of the electrical box.

I'm going to start carrying a can of red spray paint with me, circling peoples tags and adding the notation "see me".

Not to be pointless or anything, but there was not correction to grammar in those photos. It was, perhaps, a spelling change, or perhaps the actions of someone who just doesn't like Bill and Ted puns.

Too bad "T-Wrecks" (by the same person, on the same wall) got all covered up by lame development signs.

If you want to get all nitpicky about it, it's Woe is I, anyway

http://www.bookslut.com/nonfiction/2004_09_003111.php

Never forget the day our church was vandalized-

Satin Kills!!!

Poor little old ladies wore only Polyester suits for at least three weeks!

NICE genevieve. thanks.

whoa.

Damn, Genevieve beat me to it! I totally own that book. It's no "Elements of Style," but it'll do.

@22:

Nonsense! Utter and complete nonsense. The expression is woe is me; me is an old dative. This expression has existed in English and its predecessors in this form for over 1000 years. The expression means woe is to me or woe is unto me. In Old English it was wa is me. In German today it is weh ist mir. Me is an archaic use of the old dative case in English today.

(The same dative me survives in methinks, which means it seems *to* me.)

People who think it should be woe is I (or worse, woe am I) are complete idiots who need to take some real linguistics classes, study a foreign language, study a dead language, read the Chicago Manual of Style, throw out Strunk & White ("avoid adjectives!"), and stop commenting on language.

Or maybe Simac needs to lay off the caffeine?

No, Simac needs to stand up and take a bow.

@19

hahahahahah

Ditto @30.

Graffiti copy editors....effing awesome!

I would have changed it to - Who is me and added a question mark.