No draws here
Forgive me if I sound grumpy, but something has been annoying me for years and I’m going to use this blog as an outlet for my rage.*
I noticed it first as a mag staffer, working on interiors titles where, you’d think, people should know what this is…
Then lately, I was perusing a well known interiors-related blog and found the same old problem cropping up with the same old type of furniture…
So, as politely as I can, I must point out that those are pictures of DRAWERS. Not DRAWS. Never draws. 
DRAWERS. Honest to goodness there are journalists and bloggers out there writing draws. Do you know anyone committing this offence? Or (whispers) could you even be an offender yourself?
Please help us literally spread the word.
*not for the first time, look.
Came here to say OH YES I TOTALLY AGREE and then after quickly checking my own blog first discovered (*shock, horror*) that whenever I use drawer in singular, I do it too! I hate it, but yet I do it! Drawers = fine, no problem. But drawer? This one I’m going to have to train myself to get right.
Ooh maybe that’s where the problem always occurs, I hadn’t considered. Quick, autocorrect. x
I’m not sure you’re in a position to object, given that you wrote about Candia McWilliam “loosing” her sight twice in an earlier post.
Hilarious, you are absolutely write (JOKE).
hi Mispy, it’s the other My Friend here – the one who can’t spell ‘lose’. Banged to rights. Can’t spell to save my life! I do know there’s a difference between draws and drawers, but that was the other Friend’s post. Don’t judge her by my poor spelling. AND I’m going to go change that Candia McWilliam post now. Thanks for commenting.
Neither can I, hence why our self appointed sub editor – AKA Mum – emails frequently. She’s had her eye off the ball on this one, so thanks Mispy.
I feel I should add that I really enjoy your blog, and that it didn’t even slightly spoil it until you started having a go at other people.
And please feel free not to post any of these comments; I couldn’t find an email address for your blog.
Oh gosh, I’ve never heard them refererred to as “draws”. There are many things that crop up in print and television ads, in print and online magazines and in daily speech that are both grammatically incorrect and irritating; but I’ve never seen that one!
YES! As a spelling and grammar pedant I am so pleased someone else has ‘outed’ this worrying trend for using ‘draws’ instead of drawers. See also stationery/stationary, and complimentary/complementary!!!
Yes to all of the above! I consider myself pretty great in the spelling department, until it comes to heterographs. I need tricks to remember the differences between them – only recently mastered practice/practise by thinking that ice is a noun and thus so is practice. BUT this rule is made more complicated by the fact that it’s only relevant in British English!
I’ve seen “Chester Draws” for sale on Craigslist..
Love the trick for remembering the difference between practice and practise. Thanks. Perhaps the way to remember the difference between draws and drawers is to think that draws go up and down and drawers go in and out!
No, sorry! That would have been a reasonable joke if it were correct but in fact drawers not draws go up and down too.
Erm. Just felt the need to point out that the word “picture” above should be plural. When are we hiring a sub-editor?
Yes why are pants drawers?
spelling mistakes are good fun but yes, shouldn’t appear in magazines. I wish I’d got a photo of my most favourite mis-spelling ever, on a market stall – it was in biro on a piece of card on a rail of short trousers and said Poodle Posh instead of Pedal Pushers.
I feel like I’ve just been educated, not least by our normally absent Editor-at-large. Madeleine from now on they will only be known as Poodle Posh(ers). Thanks for everyone’s great comments.
My favorite decorating malapropism is “rot iron”, although I did once come across a “lawngerie chest” on Craigslist.