Can I? or May I?

What's the difference? In common USA usage, "may I?' has almost totally disappeared. That could just be linguistic laziness or it could have psychological roots in the 1960's rebellion. "Can I?" asks if I am capable of doing something; "may I?" asks for permission. Could it be that we no longer feel that we need anybody's permission for anything?


Update: The billboard with the misspelled store location hasn't been corrected yet.
I wonder if anyone else noticed.

Why do we...?

We use acronyms all the time: PIN, ATM, VIN. And all too often we add the word that the last letter of the acronym stands for after the acronym. How often have you heard "PIN number" or "ATM machine" or a "CDL license?" What is actually being said is Personal Identification Number number, or Automatic Teller Machine machine, or Commercial Driver's License license. Isn't that a bit redundant?

More signs along the road

A local business is selling "Pizsas", and another one urges us to be "gratefull." I passed a large billboard for a jewelry store that listed three locations. The third one was misspelled: "The Shoppes at Ponte Verda" instead of Ponte Vedra. I called to let them know and I have a feeling that the company they paid to create that billboard is going to be hearing from them. I'll be watching to see if it gets corrected.