Comments on: Friday Fluff: Are You Smarter than a Spell Checker?

By: Alphy

Alphy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:56:36 +0000

I gave up at about 4; I probably would have gotten most of them if I tried. Being a mathematician, though, I didn’t want to deal with the subtlety (especially since I need to get back to work ;-) )

I just wanted to say, though, that from a mathematician’s perspective, calculators will also bring down civilization! (I sort-of like both, but it’s important to be able to spell or calculate without special tools. When you have pencil and paper, all you’ve got is your brain!)

By: Xerophyte

Xerophyte — Sun, 11 May 2008 07:44:01 +0000

OMG, I got spit all over my screen from number 9. A local cable-access TV station in my city used to run listings of government events that people could attend, and once for an entire week they were running a notice about a pubic hearing. My roommate and I, both total word nerds, could sit and laugh at that one for like half an hour.

By: Rabia

Rabia — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:02:14 +0000

I didn’t read all the comments, but I’m glad to know I’m not the only one out there throwing my hands up at spelling and grammar gaffes.

I got all of them except number eight because I didn’t know about the trouper v. trooper.

What completely irritates me is the blatant, rampant apostrophe misuse. It’s almost an epidemic because so many people are using the apostrophe when pluralising words. I’ve even seen it in company reports, e.g., “company’s” when it’s supposed to be “companies.” The people who wrote these reports are BRITS! I though, “Y’all are supposed to have a better education system than us!” OI. I don’t know where it all started, but it’s getting a bit ridiculous if even my friend with a Masters from USC is sticking apostrophes in plurals.

Also, the “their/they’re/there” and “than/then” mix ups are silly. OH and the “your” v. “you’re!” ARGH. Like one of the other commenters, I hear/pronounce your and you’re differently, which helps differentiate them.

By: wiscck

wiscck — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:20:11 +0000

My favorite misspelling is ‘busses’ for ‘buses’. Because the two words mean entirely different things, and it nearly always offers up a funny mental picture. For example, when I read that “more public busses are needed” I thought about random strangers going around kissing each other in the street.

I do have to admit, though, that I get called on my spelling all the time by my ESL students. I forget that I’m supposed to be using the British spellings and use the American ones instead, and the kids are all over it. The one I have big problems with is ‘kerb’. It doesn’t look like a real word!

By: Sara

Sara — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:55:11 +0000

“I have the freakish ability to “hear” the differences between homophones.”

I’ve never had a problem with there/they’re/their because they sound different to my ear. It’s over thar/ They er going out/ It’s theyer car. I think my dad pronounces them that way. Is it a Southern thing or a learning out of books thing?

By: Mizzy.

Mizzy. — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:23:54 +0000

My biggest peeve is when people put “must of” because it sounds like “must’ve”.

By: Bee

Bee — Mon, 05 May 2008 12:25:33 +0000

I got them all right –
but as with many of those above me, I have done stints as a teacher, an editor and a graduate student.

It was gratifying to discover how many other people are driven mad by the misuse of the apostrophe and other sloppy spellings — too numerous to mention.

I have to agree with Medea: it is only by reading voraciously that one develops a fine instinct for appropriate word choices and the way a word should look.

By: dinazad

dinazad — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:47:48 +0000

Missed number 8, but otherwise got them all. And hey! I’m not a native speaker (English is my third language), so I’m pretty proud of myself!

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:59:12 +0000

Could of, would of, and should of make my eyes bleed.

So does “ect” and spoken mispronunciations of et cetera.

And confusing i.e. and e.g.

…I could go on. I won’t, but I could.

By: killedbyllamas

killedbyllamas — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:33:29 +0000

Catching up on all the language-related fun after being away this weekend…it was really interesting reading about dyscalculia. I am mildly dyslexic with, well, pretty much everything, but have a more severe case of directional dyslexia, which in my case is just what it sounds like. Seriously, don’t ask me to differentiate between right and left on short notice! What I’m trying to say is, I find the ways in which everyone’s brains work a little bit differently, and the ways we find to deal with that, to be completely fascinating.