The Typo Hunter

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Wiping out typos across the country

By Andrea Sachs, Washington Post Staff Writer

Tourists in Washington are always looking for something: monuments, the Mall, the president, their hotel. On a visit last week, Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson were no different, except that they were seeking something smaller and more subtle, a prize that could win you favors from an English teacher but has no place on a traditional postcard.

"We are with the Typo Eradication Advancement League," Deck said to a surprised waiter at Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle, presenting a business card. The 30-year-old in the Indiana Jones-style hat explained that he had noticed a missing 'p' in the "red snapper" written on the menu board outside. "It reads 'snaper,'???" he added helpfully.

The TEALsters offered to fix the mistake, using the correction kit that dangled from Deck's waist. The waiter graciously accepted the assistance, admitting that he himself had probably omitted the consonant, his focus wavering because he was fasting. He then asked whether Deck, the designated artist of the two, could "put some decoration" on the board as well. Chalk in hand, Deck plugged in the missing letter, then sketched a small fish beside the name of the dish. Another typo banished.

"Once you start, it's really hard to stop," said Deck of his multi-state typo pursuit. "It's in some part of my brain at all times, but it's not interfering with my enjoyment of places."

Two years ago, Deck heard the call of the road, a siren that strangely sounded like a stern grammarian. Groomed as an editor, he was sensitive to the literary mistakes that litter our nation's signs, menus and placards. Living in Somerville, Mass., he was constantly mocked by a sign that read, "No Tresspassing."

To redress these errors, he embarked on a 21/2-month-long, 33-state journey with a rotation of friends who would help him clean up the grammatical trash. One pal, Herson, joined him for two legs: Silver Spring to Los Angeles, and Madison, Wis., to Somerville. The two pals from Dartmouth College spun their experiences into the new book "The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time" (Crown, $23.99).