"Them ones wasn't what I was looking for"

That quote or the title or this post was overheard in Macy's from a lady shopping for jeans. She was explaining loudly to a third party on her cell phone that the jeans she recently bought weren't exactly what she wanted.

What she said instead was "Them ones wasn't what I was looking for." Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay... There are so many things wrong with that sentence. Where to begin?

1. Them ones. Them ones??? Really people??? Where do grammar mistakes like this begin? Are parents not reading to their children anymore? "Them" should never be uttered next to "ones".

Try using: "these" if the items are close to you or "those" if the items are farther away.

2. Them ones wasn't. Even my dictionary on the computer goes crazy with the squiggly red line when I type that. Why? You guessed it. Subject/verb agreement! Ones=Plural. However wasn't= singular. It never, ever sounds good to mix singular with plural in the same sentence. I don't care what the rap stars say. They are in the boardrooms for a reason!

Try using: "Weren't". In other words, use the plural form of the verb.

I never saw a mistake like with my students but it was a common error among my small town high school classmates. To me, it sounds worse than nails on a chalkboard and is just as offensive as if someone lit up a cigarette and blew it into my face.

And remember, subject/verb agreement is your friend!