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Frequently misspelled/confused names.

04 Apr 01 - 05:05 PM (#433274)
Subject: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

I just had a (for me) brilliant idea. I noticed where someone had asked for certain lyrics by Donavan (sic). Well, naturally, if he had searched DigiTrad and Mudcat threads for "Donavan" he wouldn't have found what he wanted, because he misspelled "Donovan." Bad spelling must be a handicap for many Mudcat users. Certainly, I have seen many misspellings in these threads. HERE'S HOW WE CAN HELP:

If you know of a certain word or name that is frequently misspelled, list it here. List both the wrong spelling and the right spelling. That way, if someone searches for the wrong spelling, they'll find THIS THREAD, which will tell them what the right spelling is.

Let me suggest a few rules:
1. Limit the words to proper names and terms that are relevant to folk music.
2. Limit the words to those you have actually seen misspelled.
3. Please double-check your "correct" spelling before posting anything here. I recommend The All Music Guide and The Folk Music Index as trustworthy sources. The Internet as a whole is NOT trustworthy, so don't just use a search engine and trust anything you find.
4. You can also list aliases, i.e. people who might be known by more than one name.
5. You can also list people whose names are so similar that they are frequently confused.
6. To help avoid confusion, list misspellings in all lower-case and correct spellings correctly capitalized.

Here are a few to get us started:

CONFUSIBLES:
Jimmie Rodgers (1897-1933), country singer, "The Singing Brakeman," famous for his Blue Yodels.
Jimmie Rodgers (no relation), pop singer with a folksy style who flourished in the 1950's-70's and recorded hits "Honeycomb," "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Oh-Oh, I'm Falling in Love Again," etc. He recorded under the name Jimmie Rodgers but is often referred to as Jimmie F. Rodgers to avoid confusing him with the other guy.
Jimmy Rogers (1924-1997), the Chicago blues singer and electric guitarist

GLEN OR GLENN?
Glen Campbell, Glen Hansard
Glenn Close, Glenn Gould, Glenn Miller, Glenn Ohrlin, Glenn Yarbrough

JIMMY or JIMMIE?
Jimmie Davis, Jimmie Rodgers, Jimmie Dale Gilmore
Jimmy Buffett, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Durante, Jimmy MacBeath
Jimmie Driftwood a.k.a. Jimmy Driftwood was inconsistent about how he spelled his name. This array of album covers illustrates the problem.

ROGERS or RODGERS?
Coleman Rogers, Gamble Rogers, Garnet Rogers, Roy Rogers, Sally Rogers, Stan Rogers
Jimmie Rodgers, Richard Rodgers (of Rodgers and Hart, or Rodgers and Hammerstein)

PEOPLE:
Adam McNaughtan, not macnaughtan, mcnoughtan, macnoughtan, mcnaughton, macnaughton, mcnoughton, or macnoughton.
Allister MacGillivray, not alistair, and not mcgillivray, mcgillivry, or macgillivry
Ani DiFranco, not annie, and not de franco, defranco, or di franco
Bernard Cribbins, not cribbens or cribbons
Bernard Wrigley, not wriggly
Bill Gallaher, not gallagher
Bobbie Gentry, not bobby (and her song is "Ode to Billie Joe", not "...billy...")
Bryan Bowers, not brian
Buffy Sainte-Marie, not saint-marie, st-marie, or ste-marie.
Carole King, not carol
Charley Patton, not charlie, and not paton
Charley Pride, not charlie
Charlie Maguire, not charley, and not mcguire or mcgwire
Christy Moore, not christie
Colum Sands, not colm, collum or column
David Mallett, not mallet, malet, or malett
Donovan Leitch, known as Donovan, not donovon, donavan, or donavon
Eddy Arnold, not eddie
Elizabeth Cotten, not cotton
Eric Andersen, not erik and not anderson
Eric Bogle, not erik and not bogel
Erik Darling, not eric
Ewan MacColl, not euen or ewen, and not mcall, mccoll, mccall, macall, or maccall
Ewen Carruthers, not euen or ewan, and not carrothers, carothers, or caruthers
Frank Crumit, not crummit
Garrison Keillor, not garison, not kiellor or keeler
Graeme Miles, not graham
Hazel Dickens, not dickins
Harry Nilsson, not nillson or nilson
Huddie Ledbetter was also known as Lead Belly or Leadbelly, but not leadbetter or ledbelly, and not hudie
Ian McCalman (of the McCalmans) not mcalman or macalman or maccalman
Jaime Brockett, not jamie
Jake Thackray, not thackeray, thackery, thakray, thakrey
Joan MacIsaac, not macissac, macisac, macissaac, mcisaac, mcissac, mcisac, or mcissaac.
John McCormack, not mccormick
John Renbourn, not renbourne, renborn, renborne
John Sebastian, not sebastion
Jonathan Kelly, not jonathon, johnathan, or johnathon
Judy Henske, not henski
Karan Casey, not karen
Kieran Halpin, not keran, keren, kerin, keron, kerran, kerren, kerrin, kerron, kieren, kierin, kieron, kierran, kierren, kierrin, or kierron
Lee Hazlewood, not hazelwood
Luka Bloom (formerly Barry Moore) not luca, and not bloome
Maddy Prior, not matty
Martin Carthy, not carty
Martyn Wyndham-Read, not martin, not windham, windom, or whyndham, and not reade, reed, reid, or reede
Miles Wootton, not myles, and not wooton, whooton, or whootton
Murray McLauchlan, not murry, and not maclauchlan, maclauchlin, maclaughlan, maclaughlin, maclouchlan, maclouchlin, macloughlan, macloughlin, mclauchlan, mclauchlin, mclaughlin, mclouchlan, mclouchlin, mcloughlan, or mcloughlin
Nanci Griffith, not nancy, and not griffin
Nic Jones, not nick
Nina & Frederik, not frederick
Ola Belle Reed, not olla, not bell, not olabelle, olabell, ollabelle, or ollabell; and not reede, read, or reade.
Patrick Sky, not skye
Ramblin' Jack Elliott, not eliot, eliott, or elliot
Richard Dyer-Bennet, not bennett or benett
Richie Havens, not ritchie
Rita MacNeil, not mcneil, mcneal, macneal, mcneill, macneill
Ron Kavana, not cavanaugh, cavanagh, kavanagh or kavanaugh
Rosalie Sorrels, not rosalee or rosa lee, and not sorel, sorrel, sorrell, sorell, sorels, sorrells, or sorells
Roy Book Binder, not bookbinder
Ry Cooder, not rye
Sean Tyrrell, not tyrell
Sheb Wooley, not shep, and not woolie, woolley, woollie, woolly, or wooly. (But there's a different person named Shep Woolley!)
Si Kahn, not sy and not khan
Steve Earle, not earl
Stuart Hamblen, not stewart, and not hamblin or hamblyn
Sydney Carter, not sidney
Vance Randolph (folklorist), not randolf, randalf, rudolph, or randalph
Vin Garbutt, not garbut

BANDS
The Chieftains, not chieftans, chieftons, cheiftains, chieftain's, not chieftan's, cheiftain's, or cheiftan's or cheiftans.
De Danann has been inconsistent about the spelling of its name. De Danann is the spelling currently favored by Shanachie Records but some albums clearly use the spelling De Dannan.
The Fureys (Eddie, Finbar, George, & Paul Furey + Davy Arthur), not furies, furys, fury's, or furey's
Highwoods Stringband, not high woods or highwood's, and not string band
The Limeliters, not limelighters, limeliter's, or limelighter's
The Wolfe Tones, not wolfe tone's, wolf tones, wolf tone's, wolfetones, wolftone's, wolftones or wolftone's. (But there is also a Scottish band called Wolfstone.)

OTHER TERMS:
A cappella, not a capella, a capello, a cappello, acapella, acapello, acappella, or acappello.
Accordion, not accordean, accordeon, accordian, acordean, acordeon, acordian, or acordion.
Appalachian, not appalachin, appalacian, apalachian, apalachin, apalacian
Bodhrán or Bodhran, but not bodran, bodrahn, bodhron, or bohdran
Bodleian Library at Oxford, not bodelian, bodlian, bodliean, or bodlean (It helps if you know it was named after someone named Bodley.)
Bowdlerize, not bowlderize or bawdlerize(after Thomas Bowdler, d. 1825)
Callous (adjective): insensitive
Callus (noun): thickened skin, such as guitarists get on their fingertips.
Céilí (modern Irish Gaelic) or Ceilidh (modern Scots Gaelic)
Chantey (a song sung by sailors to the rhythm of their movements while working), not chantie, chanty, shantey, or shantie – but see Shanty.
Chanteys (plural of Chantey), not chantys, chanties, shantys, or shanteys – but see Shanties.
Chord (several notes played in harmony), not cord or cords (but see Vocal Cords)
Chorus, not chorous
Copyright, not copywrite or copywright
Copyrighted, not copywritten or copywrighted
Didgeridoo (Australian instrument), not didjeridoo, didjeridu, digeridoo, didgeridu, dijeridoo, dijeridu, etc.
Dulcimer, not dulcimor or dulcimore
Hallelujah (from Hebrew) or Alleluia (from Latinized Hebrew), but not halleluja, alleluja, aleluia, aleluya, halleluiah, aleluja, halleluyah, haleluja, allelujah, halleluia, alleluya, haleluya, halelluia, halleluya, alleluiah, halelujah, hallalujah, haleluyah, etc.
Hammered dulcimer, not hammer dulcimer
Honky tonk, not honkytonk, honkey tonk, honkeytonk, honkie tonk, or honkietonk.
Lullabies, not lullabys or lullabyes
Lullaby, not lullabye or lullabie
Medley: a series of songs or tunes performed together, without a break between them; not to be confused with melody.
Melodeon, not mellodean, mellodeon, mellodian, mellodion, melodean, melodian, or melodion.
Melody: a series of notes; a tune; not to be confused with medley.
Ocarina, not occarina
Psaltery, not psaltry
Repertoire, not repetoire or repetoir
Review (a critical report of a work or performance), not revue
Revue (a musical show consisting of skits, songs, and dances), not review
Segue: a smooth transition from one tune or song to another, without interruption. Not to be confused with Segway.
Segway (trademark): a self-balancing personal transportation device with two wheels; not to be confused with segue.
Shanties (plural of Shanty), not chanties, chantys, shanteys, shantys – but see Chanteys.
Shanty (a roughly built, often ramshackle cabin; a shack), not chanty, chantie, shantie, or shantey – but see Chantey.
Soundtrack, not soundtract, sound track, or sound tract
Ukelele is the British spelling
Ukulele is the American spelling
Vaudeville, not vaudville
Vibrato, not vibbrato, vibbratto, or vibratto
Vinyl, not vynil or vynal.
Vocal cords, not vocal chords (but see Chord)

Words and terms from later messages have been copied into this one, and others have been added. -JoeClone, 21-Feb-2024.

04 Apr 01 - 05:46 PM (#433301)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Greyeyes

What an inspired suggestion. Some typos I have made in my time:

lonnie donnegan - should be Lonnie Donegan. jake thackeray - should be Jake Thackray.

04 Apr 01 - 05:54 PM (#433306)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Murray MacLeod

I have a cassette tape (not bootleg) on which Side One is by Martyn Wyndham-Reade and Side Two is by Martin Wyndham-Reade.

Murray

04 Apr 01 - 05:59 PM (#433310)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Sorcha

Not a bad idea, but the problem is that "creative" spellers can get very creative!!

04 Apr 01 - 06:00 PM (#433311)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Murray MacLeod

I should have said that he is of course Martyn Wyndham-Reade

Murray

04 Apr 01 - 06:00 PM (#433312)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Uncle_DaveO

Another possibility:

In posting a song for the DT, check if the title/key phrase which someone might be expected to search for is spelling-sensitive. Maybe what you're posting is a phonetic version of the ordinary English, or maybe vice-versa. Maybe a song is called (fictional) Singin' Sword.

If you find that kind of trap built in, somewhere in your post say something like "Singin' Sword is sometimes spelled Singing Sword," so that you're using any likely variant a searcher might look for.

DAve Oesterreich

04 Apr 01 - 06:03 PM (#433315)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Bruce O.

Just stay away from my website, because I stick to the original spelling (when I don't make an error that is).

04 Apr 01 - 06:52 PM (#433345)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Helen

Thanks for this clever idea, Jim. Long overdue!

The one I can never find is the song I know as Welia Welia Walia, or something like that.

We had a whole thread on it with heaps of spelling variations:

Weila, Walla, Weelia, Wallia, Welia, Walia, Weela, Wela, Wolla, 'Weila Waile'

Almost a mathematician's exercise in probability: how many different combinations of these letters can you make - like calculating heads and tails with 2 or more coins.

Anyway the threads are here


Wela Wolla

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=13555#112037


Weela Wallia

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.CFM?threadID=6876


Thanks to all, and info request

http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=29209#367736

I don't know what the correct spelling is, or if there actually is a correct spelling since it is just nonsense words. I thought it was in DT but now I'm not so sure of that either. It does need to be in there and maybe it needs to be searchable with any of these spellings.

Helen

05 Apr 01 - 01:30 AM (#433525)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Blackcatter

It all just makes me glad my name is Thom, I mean, Tom Cuk, I mean Cook

or somethin' like that.

pax yall

05 Apr 01 - 04:11 PM (#434070)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Krause

You oughtta see the kreeativ spelin uv my naim sumthyme. And I ain't relaited to Allison, er Allyson, er aw heck, that countree/blewgrass fiddler and singer--yew know the won.
Jim, or is it Gym? Crackers! I can't remember.

05 Apr 01 - 04:20 PM (#434080)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: SINSULL

Staggerle
Stagger Lee
Stacker Lee
Maybe Max should do a radio show to demonstrate the variations.

05 Apr 01 - 04:46 PM (#434097)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Rana

Actually Murray,

It is

Martyn Wyndham-Read (and not Reade)

Rhana oops Rana

(Apologies if this has come up a second time, something didn't happen when I submitted

05 Apr 01 - 04:52 PM (#434105)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bert

SINS, it's STACKALEE! And hey that would be a good theme for a show;-)

05 Apr 01 - 04:55 PM (#434109)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Geoff the Duck

The performer misspelt several times during this thread claimed to have once been billed as Marilyn Winding-Road.
Quack?
GtD

05 Apr 01 - 05:09 PM (#434120)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

hey, my father's name was Audley....you can guess how THAT was screwed up all his life...he took to signing stuff A.W. when he could. People simply would NOT listen when he told them...they would stare blankly at him and write down 'Aubrey' or even 'Oddley'...if THEY hadn't heard it before, it must not exist.

05 Apr 01 - 05:15 PM (#434125)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

or... how's about this... get a GOOD search engine that will allow FUZZY searches...

05 Apr 01 - 05:54 PM (#434165)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Murray MacLeod

Yeah Rana, I screwed up. I entered "Martyn Wyndham-Reade" in the search box at Google,just to check, and up it came, five hits ! So I am not the only illiterate ....

But of course it is Read, not Reade. Actually I was more concerned with "Martyn" v "Martin".

Murray

05 Apr 01 - 06:28 PM (#434187)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Murray MacLeod

Two others that have come to mind, are Paddie Bell, (of Corrie Folk Trio fame) frequently misspelt as Pattie or Paddy , and the Breton guitar ace Soig Siberil, who is frequently misspelt as Siog Siberil (though not by me any longer, thanks to Matt_R)

Murray

05 Apr 01 - 06:31 PM (#434190)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Mrrzy

Great idea. Does snog fall here?

05 Apr 01 - 09:56 PM (#434306)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Sorcha

I believe I noticed Joe Offer saying on the Help forum the other day that Tennessee is consitently spelled Tenessee in the DT.......(creep--our name is Wise. We live in an area with a large "German" population, and it everyone tries to spell it Weise, or Weiss)

06 Apr 01 - 12:05 AM (#434383)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,#1

Clinton, where do you find fuzzy tunes for those fuzzy songs?

06 Apr 01 - 12:07 AM (#434384)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Sorcha

Hoka Hey, #1, I play "fuzzy" tunes all the time--it's called faking it and Follow the Leader......quite common, actually!

06 Apr 01 - 04:18 PM (#434819)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Mrs.Duck

Unfortunately Clinton whilst my search engine is not so sensitive digital tradition is and that is the problem many of us have if looking for an artist if we or the original poster misspell or should that be mispell?

06 Apr 01 - 08:03 PM (#434920)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Judy Predmore (at work)

I'm not surprised to see Martyn Wyndham-Read show up so early on this thread. His is the most misspelled name I know of, even on several of his recordings. I'm pretty sure it's spelled correctly throughout his web site, though the hyphen is not in the site name: martynwyndhamread.com

I've seen most of the below:

Martyn Wyndham-Reid Martyn Wyndham-Reed Martyn Wyndham-Reade Martin Wyndham-Reid Martin Wyndham-Reed Martin Wyndham-Reade Martin Wyndham-Read Martyn Windham-Reid Martyn Windham-Reed Martyn Windham-Reade Martyn Windham-Read Martyn Wyndham Reid Martyn Wyndham Reed Martyn Wyndham Reade Martyn Wyndham Read Martin Wyndham Reid Martin Wyndham Reed Martin Wyndham Reade Martin Wyndham Read Martyn Windham Reid Martyn Windham Reed Martyn Windham Reade Martyn Windham Read

And I'll bet there's more...

06 Apr 01 - 10:08 PM (#434986)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Malcolm Douglas

I'm regularly astonished that so many people seem unable to spell my name, even when they are replying to a post from me and have it spelt out for them in front of their very eyes!

Malcolm  (NOT Malcom...)

09 Apr 01 - 09:37 PM (#436990)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Geoff the Duck

How about other regularly misspelt words - or should this one go in Catspaw's free American Bashing thread?

REMEMBER !

Grey is spelt with an E
Aluminium contains TWO I's
Gaol does not contain either J or I
Need I say more?
Quack!!!!!

10 Apr 01 - 04:19 AM (#437167)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: fat B****rd

I recall on the sidewinder lp by lee morgan that the bass player was bob crenshaw,cronshaw and cranshaw ! but it was the sixties. on the subject of mis-spellings ;stenger,stanger,stengar,steinger,spangler,spengleman, and my personal favourite, strangler. somewher in there is my correct surname. great thread. love fB

10 Apr 01 - 01:08 PM (#437415)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Krause

Bill D, You think YOUR father's name was (uh geez, can't resist) odd, my Dad's name was Menno. No one names their kid that. You should have seen the stuff that came in the mail. It was hilarious.

Brief history lesson: There was a 16th century Dutch preacher named Menno Simons for whom my Dad was named, but I doubt even the Dutch remember that Menno nowadays.


Jim

10 Apr 01 - 04:19 PM (#437575)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Jim Krause: Aren't the Mennonites named after somebody named Menno? Was it Menno Simons? (Thread creep, but I can't resist.)

10 Apr 01 - 04:36 PM (#437587)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Krause

Jim Dixon, bless your pointed little head. You got it! Howboutthat!
Jim

10 Apr 01 - 05:41 PM (#437625)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bert

Yesterday, inspired by the 'ego' thread, I did a Google search on "Plastic Flower Seeds". I found it had received some airplay on a couple of local radio stations.

Unfortunately they had it sung by "Burt Hansel".

So THAT's why I never got any phone calls.*BG*

Bert (Hansell)

13 Jun 01 - 04:47 PM (#482718)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

Mrs. Duck...

That's my point... rather than going to all the work of creating threads that lead from misspellings to actually spellings and from hither to yon... we should be addressing the actually problem...

That is that the digitrad search engine bites... any search engine anywhere these days allows for wild cards, and/or's, and will return fuzzy results...

So a search for Erik eventually returns Eric as well...

Hell, I'm shocked and stunned that the digitrad appears to be CASE SENSITIVE?!?!?!?!?! Why the hell is that?!?!?!?

People are gonna misspell... we're not gonna change that... may as well fix it to compensate as best we can...

;-)

13 Jun 01 - 05:52 PM (#482789)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Clinton: It appears to me that a DigiTrad search is NOT case sensitive. At least not when you use the searches available on this web site. If you use the downloaded version, I'm not sure ...

13 Jun 01 - 06:00 PM (#482801)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

I might be thinking of an older, downloaded version...

But at any rate, my point that the current search could be a lot fuzzier stands...

;-)

13 Jun 01 - 06:07 PM (#482809)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

"may as well fix it to compensate as best we can... "

...no, that just encourages and proliferates mis-spellings. If bad spellers (many of whom have genuine problems, though some are just careless) learn that an internet search ONLY gets good results when spelling is correct, maybe they will at least learn to try alternate spellings or use a spell-checker, rather than post sad requests begging someone else to find it for them! The very same search engines and spell checking software is available to everyone, and the guy who answers the request only did what the 'spelling challenged' SHOULD have done.

As my ol' daddy used to say, "you shore ain't gonna learn it any younger"

13 Jun 01 - 06:18 PM (#482817)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

Sure bill, you go right ahead and change the whole human race and make them better spellers...

I'm more on your side than you might think... But I'm also less concerned with improving thier lot anymore...

So rather than trying to change the world...

;-)

13 Jun 01 - 07:06 PM (#482865)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

I don't expect to solve it...but ANY imporvement is better than catering to those who won't even type 'you' in a chat

(u no wht I mn?)

13 Jun 01 - 07:17 PM (#482877)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

'imporvement'?

LOL!!

I do know what you mean... and people like that, I simply ignore...

13 Jun 01 - 07:28 PM (#482889)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

*sigh*...I do 'imporve' with time ...(the money for typing lessons? I spent it on resords, why?)

13 Jun 01 - 07:31 PM (#482895)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Clinton Hammond

I'm just ribbin' ya Bill... like I've never made a "tpyo" in my time!

LOL!!!!

13 Jun 01 - 07:41 PM (#482906)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Spell-checkers aren't going to help you spell "Martyn Wyndham-Read" correctly.

Anyway, regardless of how much you rail against bad spellers, they will always be with us.

13 Jun 01 - 08:01 PM (#482925)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

hmmm....a standard spell-checker won't help one with that name the FIRST time, but you can add it, once you know it....

and, a good WWW search engine is one gigantic spell checker! If you enter several versions of a word, of combination of words, you are VERY likely to discover the most commonly accepted version! This does require a bit of creative effort with Martyn's name, I admit

I got no hits with Martin Windham-Reed and Martin Wyndam-Reed....but 2 with Martin Wyndham-Read (leading me to think that I am close, but there should be more...) but one of the mis-spelled ones at FocalPoint gives links to the performer's websites, and LO! a list with the correct spelling

total time..3 minutes...

yep...that's a lot of trouble, easier to just post randomly and wait for corrections from pedants like me..*grin*

13 Jun 01 - 08:24 PM (#482942)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Bill D

Martyn said to everyone, "fie, folk, fie"
Martyn said to everyone, "who's the fool now?"
Martyn said to everyone, "my name's not an easy one"
"But searching Google gets it done...
Thou hast learned something new...who's the fool now?"

13 Jun 01 - 09:35 PM (#482982)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Always envied the Spanish. Fotographie, etc., all ph rendered as f.

13 Jun 01 - 10:36 PM (#483004)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Dicho: Wouldn't that be "fotografía"?

13 Jun 01 - 10:38 PM (#483005)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Something here reminds me of my son: In the time he spends arguing about whether he ought to have to do his homework, he could have done it.

14 Jun 01 - 05:39 AM (#483142)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug at work

Can I just check on the Eric Bogel/Bogle thing? Jim Dixon was saying his name was Bogel? ermm I could be wrong here, but I have never ever seen Eric's name spelled as Bogel, and the site on the web that claims to be official has Bogle, and every album cover I've ever seen has Bogle.

Was Jim just being ironic and I missed it?

Cheers

SD

Error corrected in Jim's posting above. Thanks, Scabby Doug. -JoeClone, 14-Jun-01.

14 Jun 01 - 05:41 AM (#483143)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Scabby Doug at work

And "Ewen" MacColl - I think it's "Ewan"...

Error corrected in Jim's posting above. Thanks, Scabby Doug. -JoeClone, 14-Jun-01.

14 Jun 01 - 05:53 AM (#483145)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: IanC

There's a fairly simple technical solution to most of these problems. Allowing an optional SOUNDEX search on our search engines would get over 95% of the names-misspelt problems (at least for English names). It's a very simple algorithm (with a publicly available spec.) developed years ago for genealogy, where different spellings are frequent.

I've implemented it once or twice in text searches, but it does obviously need someone to do it.

Cheers!
Ian

14 Jun 01 - 07:08 AM (#483175)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: pavane

Good idea. I just searched for plughole and got nothing - the song is actually present as "Dahn the plug'ole" !!!!

14 Jun 01 - 11:48 AM (#483325)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jim Dixon

Scabby Doug: No, I wasn't being ironic. I was just being mistaken. Apparently I misread my notes. Thanks for the correction.

14 Jun 01 - 04:16 PM (#483525)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Giac@Brian's

In notes after songs in the DT, where United States postal abbreviations are used, several are consistently incorrect.

Arkansas is AR, not ak

Arizona is AZ
Alaska is AK
Alabama is AL
Postal abbreviations and postal codes for the United States were assigned beginning in the upper New England states and going south down the eastern seaboard. Scoot over to the west and go back north, scoot over to the west, go south and repeat. It's not alphabetical, it's geographical.

Good thread, I'd wondered how to bring this up (about the mistakes in state abbreviations), and this thread seems to be as good a place as any. Thanks.

Mary

14 Jun 01 - 05:17 PM (#483569)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,SharonA

To Mary at Giac@Brian's:

HI (tee hee) and thanks for bringing up the postal abbreviation dilemma. The system (or lack thereof) that was used to determine those abbreviations has always puzzled me.

I always think MA stands for Maine when, in fact, it's for Massachusetts and ME, of all things, is for Maine. Likewise, I read MS as Massachusetts instead of the correct state, Mississippi (why couldn't they have named THAT one MP? No other "M" state has a "p" in it!)

I wish, too, that they had named Alabama AB so Alaska could've been AL and Arkansas could've been AK (and drop AR, and the resultant confusion, completely.). But nobody consulted me at the time!

And what did Tenna see? She saw what Arkan saw!
And what did Della wear? She wore her New Jersey!

SharonA

P.S. - The "learn-to-spell-by-trial-and-error" advice seen above sounds a lot like the answer grade-school teachers would give us when we asked how to spell a word: "Look it up." ...and how does one do that if one doesn't know the spelling beforehand????? (trial and error and error and error and frustration and giving up!)

11 Jun 02 - 05:24 AM (#727372)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Mr Happy

though not strictly a misspelling, more a mispronunciation,

i recall some years ago at a local ff concert, the compere announced that the next act was 'silly arse'

he meant, of course; 'sileas'

11 Jun 02 - 06:49 AM (#727404)
Subject: RE: Frequently mispelled words.
From: Mr Red

Etymology & lexicon?

11 Jun 02 - 07:18 AM (#727423)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Three days short of a year ago, Giac noted that the two-letter abbreviations for states were sometimes incorectly given in the DT, and wondered why AB wasn't selected for Alabama. Here's the answer a year later. It was selected for Alberta, that's why. The system applies to the provinces of Canada as well as to the states. There are only nine, but I can't remember them although I live in Canada. Let's see, ON = Ontario, but what is Quebec? Oh heck, Que. will do. For the states, I can't seem to give up Minn. or Ariz. Much clearer.

11 Jun 02 - 06:40 PM (#727928)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Joe_F

Bill Crofut, not Crowfoot. And, on the same tour, Steve Addiss (the capital of Ethiopia is not named for him).

This will be a valuable list, but those whose carelessness sends people to it should blush. Look up the ******* name -- especially if you are going to put it in a subject line.

11 Jun 02 - 07:10 PM (#727949)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Gloredhel

The standard printed spelling of my name (also a not uncommon word in English-language songs of Irish origin) is Colleen, not coleen, collene, colene, colline, or anything else. And yes, I know this is not the actual spelling in Irish, I'm talking about the way it is spelled in published songs.

Some people can misspell anything. As a child, I thought no one could possibly misspell my last name, Carter. How naive I was!

11 Jun 02 - 07:21 PM (#727959)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: clansfolk

always have trouble at the end of a gig deciding if the audience is shouting "More" or "Door"

12 Jun 02 - 12:25 AM (#728089)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

Jim,
You said to limit the discussion to proper names and terms that are relevant to folk music. Not sure, from your wording, whether folk music terms that are not proper names would count, but here's one of my pet peeves--thanks to Bill Gates [i.e., Microsoft Word]:

"sing-a-long" -- which suggests one is incanting a lengthy ballad

The correct hyphenated spelling is "sing-along," meaning, of course, to "sing along [with] others. ["Singalong," without the hyphen is also acceptable.] However, Microsoft Word's Spell Checker program incorrectly 'corrects' you if you spell it correctly, and tells you it is "sing-a-long." Since Word is so widely used, the misspelling has become rampant.

12 Jun 02 - 12:36 AM (#728090)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)

Spelchek drives me up the wall. Never use it.
And a tip o' the hat to Colic Cotter. I named a daughter Siobhan. Poor girl! Sy-o-bun is about as close as they come. I guess that's why there are few songs about girls with that name, but many about Barbara or Liza Jane.

12 Jun 02 - 03:31 AM (#728140)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Mr Happy

genie,

similarly,one of my peeves is the frequent misspellings of 'singaround'.

i've seen it as 'singeround'

23 Jun 02 - 01:41 AM (#735050)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

Other common misspellings include:

Joni Mitchell [not "Joanie"]
Jimmie Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman [not "Breakman"]
Bill Staines [not "Stains"]
 

Bill D., I'm witchyew!  I think misspelling has become epidemic in the US largely because people--including those who write copy for the mass media [and those who supervise them]--don't give a fig if they use a word incorrectly or spell it incorrectly, or pronounce it incorrectly, or all of the above.

If we're allowing wishful thinking, here's what I'd like:  Mudcat search engine would allow fuzzy searches; then it would correct the misspelled words in thread titles, so as not to perpetuate the errors.

SharonA, Maine has been "Me.," at least since the 1950s--back when California was "Cal." and Oregon was "Ore. --before our current postal abbreviations were instituted.  Interesting bit of trivia there--that no state besides Mississippi has a "p" in it.  As Johnny Carson would have said, "I did not know that."

Dicho, I think Quebec is QB.

Genie

23 Jun 02 - 01:56 AM (#735054)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Kaleea

Gorsh, Jimbo, if'n yew thank thet sum o' un'ns ratchere et th' 'cat caffee cain't spayull rat, thin yew ain't nevur bin t' th' port o' th' kuntree thet ah'm frum! Fortyewnaytlee fer us'nz therz uh thang kallt Dayown Hom Spayulltchekkur whitch yew'unz whut kain't spayull az gud az mee kin go tuh: dubbleyewdubbleyewdubbleyewdowotdayownhomspaylltchekkrudowotkowumm Thet thar wayubsaht orta kut dayown on them thar spayllun boobooz!

23 Jun 02 - 10:41 AM (#735172)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

Layuffin muh foowul ayuss awf, Kuhleeyuh!

§;- D)

11 Dec 08 - 04:30 PM (#2512922)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: GUEST,Alistair Banfield

I agree about the misspelled names of Wyndham-Read. The problem is that the record companies themselves are the ones who caused all the confusion. The early records in Australia were often Wyndham-Reid so when one followed the other they continued to misspell the name. In England the Topic LP had it as Reade and the Broadside LP had it as Reed. Martyn always knew how to spell his name but it seems the people putting his records out didn't bother to check with him...

11 Dec 08 - 04:59 PM (#2512955)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Betsy

Guess who's been billed as Vinegar Butt - true ask him

11 Dec 08 - 05:33 PM (#2512999)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

To add to your early list, Jim D., it's "a cappella," not "Acapulco."

11 Dec 08 - 05:47 PM (#2513009)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

Oh, and "jive" is a type of music or dance. It can also be a verb, but it does not mean "to match or agree with or fit." That's "jibe" -- which has a couple of meanings, none of which have to do with music or dance.

11 Dec 08 - 06:38 PM (#2513055)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Uncle_DaveO

Geoff the Duck, way back in 2001, sagely informed us that:

REMEMBER !

Grey is spelt with an E
Aluminium contains TWO I's
Gaol does not contain either J or I

That's true. And equally,

Gray is spelled with an A
Aluminum contains ONE I
Jail does not contain either G or O!

Dave Oesterreich

11 Dec 08 - 06:39 PM (#2513057)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: JohnInKansas

Re a comment above about "case sensitivity:"

It would be expected that the older DOS database would not be case sensitive because DOS is NOT CASE SENSITIVE. Almost no DOS programs ever have been case sensitive, with the exception of a few of the last Word Processors that allowed you to "search case sensitive" as an add-in selectable option.

Windows usually is case sensitive but there are exceptions. In older Win versions you often found the ability to search in non-sensitive mode (the default) or to manually select "preserve case." (I can't comment on Office 2007 (or Vista) as - for me - no built in search works usefully in any way I can comprehend in either of these.)

Another topic:

or... how's about this... get a GOOD search engine that will allow FUZZY searches

The most common "fuzzy search" method begins with collapsing the search terms to omit all the vowels. There are a few other common "reduction methods" that replace - for example - common word endings (...tion, ing, etc) or ignore them entirely.

The problem with this is illustrated by a recent search, in which many 'catters participated, for information on a painting by an artist named "Prinet."

Collapsed by Google's fuzzy search, the term actually used by the search engine is "Prnt".

Note that Print - and all derivatives thereof such as Printer, Printing, etc - if "endings" are dropped, also collapse to "prnt."

And the word "parent" and its derivatives (parenting, parental, etc.) also collapse to fuzzy search "prnt."

The Google report thus returns its standard 237,429,714,811 hits, but will only show you the first ~800 (variable depending on some criteria nobody knows).

If there are 800 Printers in the world(?) or 800 parents(?) you will NEVER SEE a result for the obscure 19th century artist.

Fuzzy search usually "finds more." But when it finds too much, you're back to needing to search within the results (which Google sort of lets you do for some kinds of searches) but doing that successfully means you often have to know what the exact result is - and sometimes exactly where it's located. You're back to needing to "spell it right."

For a data base the size of the DT, or maybe even for searching threads here, fuzzy search might be helpful; but it's not really a sure thing. A complicating factor for the DT might be that many of the filenames/records in the database, I believe, still retain their DOS 8-char names which already are - effectively - pre-fuzzified, sometimes in ways not obvious until you actually find them.

John

11 Dec 08 - 06:50 PM (#2513071)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Geoff the Duck

Uncle_DaveO - Are we STILL American Bashing, or are we allowed to pack it in, now that Obama is waiting for Bush to have his "Garage Sale", so he can move into the big white shack?
Just curious!
Quack
GtD.

11 Dec 08 - 07:46 PM (#2513122)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Uncle_DaveO

As to the postal designations of US states and Canadian provinces, they are NOT abbreviations! They are postal CODES!

If they were abbreviations, they would take a period after them.

And, being postal codes, not abbreviations, you really shouldn't use them in normal text, as "He moved to MN." No, he moved to Minnesota, and one doesn't even write "He moved to Minneapolis, MN last spring." NO! If the word Minnesota (or another state name) is meant to be a word in context, it should be spelled out. MN should be used for Minnesota ONLY in an address setting, as a code for the Postal Service. Thus, "I wrote address on the envelope in Minnesota as follows: 4333 South Oak, Minneapolis MN XXXXX," (the XXXXX being the ZIP code, of course.)

Note, too, there's no comma either before or after the MN where it is used in an address.
[/pedant mode]

Dave Oesterreich

11 Dec 08 - 07:59 PM (#2513132)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Uncle_DaveO

When I posted the following:

Thus, "I wrote address on the envelope in Minnesota as follows: 4333 South Oak, Minneapolis MN XXXXX," (the XXXXX being the ZIP code, of course.)

Of course I meant this:

"I wrote his address in Minnesota on the envelope as follows: 4333 South Oak, Minneapolis MN XXXXX," (the XXXXX being the ZIP code, of course.)"

Such misteaks mistakes are bound to happen when one waxes pedantic about language, of course.

P.S.: Yes, I know that Sibley is a street name in St. Paul, not Minneapolis. (blush)


Dave Oesterreich

11 Dec 08 - 11:10 PM (#2513208)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Rowan

Many times when people are searching for Margret Roadknight they ask for Margaret Roadknight.

And, while I think Jim's suggestion and list are valuable, I offer a couple of comments.
Didgeridoo (Australian instrument), not didjeridoo, didjeridu, digeridoo, didgeridu, dijeridoo, dijeridu, etc.
"didjeridoo, didjeridu, and didgeridu" are all acceptable, as orthography for words of Aboriginal origin can be very flexible and all of these have been used in formal, academic, publications.

Shanty (a roughly built, often ramshackle cabin; a shack)
While this statement is true it is not complete in the Australian context, where it also, correctly, refers to a (usually maritime) work song.

This is where the suggestion of Jim's needs to be accompanied by a bit of experience in cultural variation. I have no interest in "bashing" but the points made above, where "Grey" is correct in some provenances and "Gray" is correct in others, illustrate the need for such experience. My browser (although US in origin) is indicating "Gray" as "incorrect" as I type but, having received a thorough education I can ignore most spellcheckers' recommendations with confidence.

I have seen US 'catters quote British and Australian writings where I know the author would not have used US spellings; I've also observed British and Oz writers treat US writings with the same disregard. It irks me but I'm known as a recidivist pedant.

While the DT is located in the US it seems reasonable for it to concentrate on US spellings but, if it is to cope with the international searches fluidly it might be helpful to either list, separately, alternate (but individually correct) titles of variants (preferred where the variants are sufficiently different from each other in text and/or provenance) or list all the variations in titles as part of the title where the differences in text and/or provenance are trivial. It seems that both seem to be happening to some extent. Which works most of the time.

Cheers, Rowan

12 Dec 08 - 12:14 AM (#2513243)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Gurney

The work of scholarship is admirable, but in the interests of colourful English I'll point out that
Ukelele and ukulele
Accordion and accordeon
Shanty and chanty (Work songs)
are correct spellings, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music.
Shanty (the hut) same spelling (Longman Dictionary)
On the other hand, I can't find melodeon in the Oxford at all! Were they invented after 1974, when my copy way bought?

I also have an idea that Acker Bilk calles it the clarionet, but i'd have to do a lot of research to confirm that, on a LP cover somewhere.

12 Dec 08 - 12:15 AM (#2513244)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Gurney

...calls it..., I'd...

12 Dec 08 - 12:29 AM (#2513253)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Genie

Don't even get started on how to properly spell Yiddish words (or Hebrew or Russian or Arabic or Chinese, etc.) in English, since those languages aren't customarily written in the same alphabet as English.

I've seen "Bai Mir Bistu Schön," "Bei Mir Bist Du Shön," "Bay Mir Bist Du Schein," and probably a dozen other variations on that particular Yiddish song title. One's not really more "right" than another, since (I've been told) Yiddish traditionally was written in the Hebrew alphabet.

12 Dec 08 - 09:59 AM (#2513503)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Uncle_DaveO

As to the problems of rendering Yiddish into English, I believe the appropriate orthographic scheme would be German spellings, because Yiddish is a Germanic language, really closely allied to modern day Deutsch. Thus "Bei mir", "schoen" "bist Du", and so on.

Dave Oesterreich

12 Dec 08 - 10:15 AM (#2513514)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Jack Campin

Niel Gow not Neil Gow, unless you mean his son Neil Gow Jr., and neither of them to be confused with Niel's son Nathaniel.

12 Dec 08 - 01:33 PM (#2513651)
Subject: RE: Frequently misspelled/confused names.
From: Reinhard

Dave, Yiddish is a Germanic language, but it is not modern German. Its vocabulary is based on Early and Middle High German.
My Yiddish dictionary (Siegmund A. Wolf, Jiddisches Wörterbuch, Hamburg: Buske 1991) translates German 'bei' and 'schön' as Yiddish 'bay' and either 'schen' or 'schein'. Besides, in German the song title would be 'Für mich bist Du schön' or words to that effect.
Reinhard