Mis-used Word of the Day

"John Henry"

Okay, it's two words, but still...

On my trip to CES, I was checking into my hotel and standing second-in-line.  I could hear the cheerful and efficient desk clerk checking in the next guest, and when they were almost all finished, he pushed a form over, handed the patron a pen, and warmly said, "I just need your 'John Henry' right here."

To be clear, this isn't a Language Patrol situation. I  didn't leap over the restraining barrier, grab the clerk by the lapels and shake him silly, crying out, "'Hanock'!  It's 'Put your 'John Hancock' right here!!!'"  I kept completely silent, and let life move on.  Had he said the same to me when I checked in, yeah, I might have corrected him -- but he didn't.  So, I didn't.

Honestly, I think it would have been fine to have given him the correct information, if done politely.  For all I knew, he'd want to be saying it properly, not just from a personal standpoint, but as a representative of the hotel.  Maybe he's rather hear it politely from a guest than from his boss berating him..  And in the end, accuracy is A Good Thing.

But just to review --

Guy on the left:  steel-drivin' man.  Guy on the right:  first-signer of the Declaration of Independence.