BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: gnu
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 06:31 PM

Lizzie, take it easy, lass. You'll be fine if you take it easy. Just point me to your thread on the floods and how to help your cause.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Gurney
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 06:31 PM

A large ad. in our local paper has a photograph of a baby Orang-Utan with the caption 'Help stop her becoming extinct!'

Must be the only one left, eh.
(OK, not a spelling error.)

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 06:14 PM

What do you want us all to do, Lizzie? Break out our towels and household sponges and come dashing to the rescue?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: gnu
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 05:38 PM

Q... by law, the packaging "must" indicate the country of origin... TO an extent. Sobeys grocery has an "accepted" policy. If it says Product of ******* on the front of the label, there it is. If it says, anywhere on the label, Packaged By or Prepared for, it comes from the US or Canada. If it says, anywhere on the label, Product of Canada or USA, there it is.

BTW... I have been waiting for Habitant green chow to come on sale. It did yesterday. Habitant Chow is now a product of USA? SOB! But it's better than the last bottle of Graves Chow I bought made in NS.... FAR better.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Lizzie Cornish 1
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 05:33 PM

Well, Spain's underwater, 10 people so far are dead...The UK has been flooded out in Northern England, York's a mess, people can't afford insurance for their homes, are buggered, worn out, washed out, literally....and have nowhere to turn to....

But hey, don't let that put us off focussing on what's REALLY important, right?

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Don Firth
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 04:54 PM

Was it Mark Twain who said, "Anyone who can't think of more than one way to spell a word is lacking in imagination?"

There are many theories about the origin of the expression "okay," claiming it's Native American or African or any one of a dozen other derivations, but the one I like says that it started with an American president who couldn't spell for beans. He'd read something that was handed to him for his approval, and if he did approve it, he would mark it "OK," short for "Oll Korekt" (All Correct).

An English writer named Lynn Truss has a pretty funny book out entitled "Eats, Shoots, and Leaves" about the deplorable use of punctuation in both the UK and the US, giving all kinds of wild examples.

One of the funnier parts of the book is that it contains a number of unintended punctuation errors!!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 04:24 PM

Gnu, I have gotten into the habit of reading labels, but some products packaged in Canada are not of Canadian origin. They technically are product of Canada. This is especially true of shrimp, etc.
I avoid them because I am afraid of their pesticide use.
Not a spelling error, but certainly misleading.
Also, nuts seldom labeled.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: gnu
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 03:55 PM

The Real Atlantic Superstore (a Lowblaws company) in Atlantic Canada often spells "Product of Chile" (or China or South Africa or...) as "Product of Canada" (or USA). And, when I say "often", I mean a LOT.

That REALLY pisses me off because people with impaired vision can read the price sign above the product but can't read the tiny label on the product.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 03:37 PM

Near where I live there's a signpost saying "Bovinger", with a road turning off.   A little way on there's another saying "Bobingworth", with another road turning off. Both roads off go to the same village.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 12:44 PM

Floret has one meaning to the florist and botanist, another in the grocery.
1. A tiny, reduced flower, grasses, composite plants such as the daisy.
2. A cluster of flower buds, cauliflower, broccoli, made up of many florets.

How many floorettes in a hed of cullyflour or brockolli? Lottes!

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: GUEST,DrWord
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 11:36 AM

Agree with DMcG, especially proofing by corporations. I can abide the spelling-challenged, and smile the spell-check substitutions. My goat is got when print journalists fuck up. In recent weeks heard a CBC [Canadian Broadcasting Corp] TV reporter uttering the word "pundint" and saw "pundant" in print a few days later. Even a crude spellchecker sees these! Of course the its|it's issue will never go away, although most ten-year-olds grasp the distinction. We could, of course, follow GBS's lead and simply toss the apostrophe.
Dave MacK : have fun at the Crystal lecture! Be interested in hearing a bit about it. When is the LitFest? I could troll around BS threads if you'd consider refreshing with a few highlights. I've nearly worn out my Crystal's Encyc of Lang. He should be a treat!

cheers
dennis

& thanx 2 all 4 yr inputs!

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Bainbo
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 11:27 AM

Me! I complained!

I know misspellings are now traditional among greengrocers, but I was moved to comment when I saw one in the fruit and veg section of our local Asda (UK supermarket chain owned by Wal-Mart). Hanging from the ceiling was a properly printed board, with photographs, and in the corporate typeface, boasting about how many "cauliflour florets" made up one of your five a day*.

Like DMcG, I didn't fancy queuing at customer services, so I emailed. After a couple of phone calls from ther customer relations people - who didn't understand what the mistake was and had to have it explained - the sign was taken down and, I noted wilth a small feeling of satisfaction, replaced with a properly-spelled one.

*Five A Day - a British Government healthy eating campaign designed to get us eating more fruit and veg.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 11:21 AM

"when hotels have multiple conference rooms they name the rooms ..."

The Massachusetts Courthouse named each courtroom with the name of a county, so there was considerable comment about the rooms that displayed signs - in sequence:

Men -- Middlesex -- Women

John

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 10:42 AM

I've got a ticket for a lecture by David Crystal in the Chester Literature Festival tied in with his latest book about the history of English spelling.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 10:31 AM

The Shakespeare (etc., ad nauseam) spellings are quite understandable*, in the 16th, 17th, and maybe 18th centuries, for at least two reasons:

1. English orthography had not yet been systematized (nor even systematised!); and

2. The divine William, the celebrated owner of that family name spelled it a number of different ways.

*"To understand all is to forgive all."

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 10:27 AM

Not so much grumpy-making, but rather - highly amusing.
Acknowledgements at the bottom of a well-known poster depicting a group of national literary giants reads "with greatful thanks to...."
A village known in the past as being rather rowdy appeared in a pamphlet (presumably thanks to Spellcheck) as Quietly instead of Quilty.
And locally; a road sign reading "Slow through village" was adapted with a few deft dabs of a paint brush to - "Low rough village"
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 10:09 AM

Ways of spelling the author of Hamlet recorded during his lifetime:

Table 1. Non-literary references (1564-1616):

                                  Outside            In
                      Total         London          London
                      -----       -------          ------
Shakespeare             71             8             63
Shakespere             27             25               2
Shakespear             16             16               0
Shakspeare             13             9               4
Shackspeare             12             11               1
Shakspere                8             7               1
Shackespeare             7             7               0
Shackspere               6             5               1
Shackespere             5             5               0
Shaxspere                3             3               0
Shexpere                2             2               0
Shakspe~                2             0               2
Shaxpere                1             1               0
Shagspere                1             1               0
Shaksper                1             1               0
Shaxpeare                1             1               0
Shaxper                  1             1               0
Shake-speare             1             0               1
Shakespe                1             0               1
Shakp                   1             0               1


Table 2. Literary references (1593-1616):

                                                      Hand-
                      Total         Printed         written
                      -----         -------         -------
Shakespeare            119            107             12
Shake-speare            21             21               0
Shakspeare             10             5               5
Shaxberd                4             0               4
Shakespere               4             1               3
Shakespear               3             1               2
Shak-speare             2             2               0
Shakspear                2             0               2
Shakspere                1             0               1
Shaksper                1             0               1
Schaksp.                1             0               1
Shakespheare             1             1               0
Shakespe                1             0               1
Shakspe                  1             0               1

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 10:07 AM

In the US and Canada when hotels have multiple conference rooms they name the rooms along a similar theme, eg, Washington Rm , Jefferson rm, or Quebec rm, Ontario rm etc.

I was thinking how much fun it would be for a hotel to name its rooms thusly.

Crytoune, Critton, Crichton and Chrichton

It would be a laugh riot! like living in a Monty Python sketch!

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: John P
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 09:23 AM

The local YMCA has a wheelchair accessible door with a big sign that says "Wheelchair Enterance".

I used to have a gas stove that lit when you turned the dial to "Lite". It pains me to think how many designers, executives, salesmen, administrative assistants, and technicians must have seen that before they started manufacturing them. It almost has to have been done on purpose, which pains me even more.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: John P
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 09:00 AM

It's even worse when it happens at school, like this one or this.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Jack Campin
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:58 AM

Both "Crichton" and "Chrichton" (and "Crighton", and "Creighton") occur in Scottish sources as far back as the 16th century. The leading branch of the family (owners of the castle near Gorebridge) didn't make their minds up about how to spell it until the 19th century. I'd guess that for centuries no Crytoune or Critton bothered with using a consistent spelling when signing their name.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:57 AM

Geneology rather than Genealogy drives me ******* loopy
Jim Carroll

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:49 AM

The nearest I've ever got to complaining officially about spelling was when I was sharing a table with the hotel manager where I was (don't ask why - it's not important). There was a card room in the place called 'Crichton' on the door, but 'Chrichton' on the directions next to the lifts, and I mentioned this to him. The next day I met him again and he said at the daily staff meeting he had asked people how it was spelt to draw attention to the error(after checking I was right, of course!)   But I've no idea if either set of notices was ever changed ...

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Bobert
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:48 AM

Yeah, I' don't much care if people on the inter-net don't spell correctly either but what really bugs me is when called journalists can't even write simple sentences that contain both a subject and a predicate...

Now that burns my buns...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Ed T
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:39 AM

Should one leave the Chinese "off the hook", in product directions?

Why not, as pirating, contamination, environmental issues and frequent inferior products seem to fall below the radar.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:38 AM

On the other hand, they can all text - I can't.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: GUEST,Alan Whittle
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:37 AM

Just the sort of way society has gone. Cameron thinks Elgar wrote Rule Britannia. Milliband wouldn't know any better. A sort of dumbing up process of society.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:31 AM

Yes, obvious errors and the misuse of quotation marks and apostrophes.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: GUEST,999
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:28 AM

I don't see anything, worng.

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: Ed T
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:08 AM

:)

;)

Subject: RE: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:06 AM

'Ever', not 'every'. And don't forget I said unofficial posts etc don't worry me :)

Subject: BS: Grumpy about Spelling Errors
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Sep 12 - 08:04 AM

I don't care in the least about mistakes in spelling in blogs, fora, personal emails, texts and the like. But what does irritate is when a big organisation can't make the effort (or is unwilling to spend a few pence to check). In the past hour I have come across two. Firstly a supermarket in which the labels above the aisles had spelling errors and secondly one of the biggest UK banks web pages, which proudly refers to an 'Insurar' (to be fair, the last may be a CSS error where they haven't checked text is all displayed, but to my mind that shows a similar lack of care).


How widespread is the irritation at such things? Has anyone every gone to the customer services of a supermarket and complained about spellings? (I was tempted, but not enough to queue!)