I don't know if a few days was devoted to this, or a full week, with a test on Friday, but I do remember enough to make me pretty sure that the phrase "memories are more fond on paper" is not correct. It should be: "memories are fonder on paper." Or, "memories are fondest on paper."
What rule of grammar this phrase seems to violate is not known. Something about comparative words and superlative words and who wins out. But the appearance of the phrase as part of an ad on the front page of a section in today's New York Times got me thinking. If it is misstated, (alert readers, please let me know) was it done so on purpose, or did the phrase escape the proofreading/grammar abilities of the people who put the ad together, and the people who placed it?
The ad is for what appears to be a trade group representing paper. Their website is cleverly named PAPERbecasue.com. The ad is directly beneath a story (coincidence?) about Newsweek magazine restoring a print edition to accompany its digital edition, and its plans to start printing hard copy this Friday. What goes around, comes around.
The photo that accompanies the ad is a vintage photo of six kids, one girl and five boys, in size-place order, circa 1910-1920 or so. It's one of those vintage photos that a politician would use in their campaign to show their humble origins and why there wasn't enough food on the table when they were growing up. I'm not running for office, but to me it could be a photo of my father and his siblings before the family of six kids was reduced to four after the Spanish influenza of 1918.
Of course that's the point of the paper people. Your memories are best held on paper and not in pixels. And I do agree.
I know advertising can take liberties with language. We have "nobody doesn't like Sara Lee," a clear double negative and what was taught to be a no-no. But that's a slogan that seems eligible for a pass. And somehow, double negatives read as positives anyway. Isn't the multiplication of two negative numbers a positive? And in programming, doesn't a double negative return code render a positive? Of course they do.
One of the great grammar lessons that played out that I remember was the advertising for Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds." Posters everywhere informed us, "The Birds Is Coming." Teachers had a field day asking didn't that violate subject/verb agreement?
If you answered no, you're right. 'The Birds' is a title, singular, and 'is' is the correct singular verb form to match the singular title.
A few years ago, Lynne Truss wrote a surprising bestseller on the correct use of punctuation marks, "Eats, Shoots and Leaves." I have no idea if a sequel on simple rules of grammar is in her gun sights. If she does produce such a book, I'll buy a copy. I know something book length is beyond my talents to produce. It would easily be more better if she did it.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
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