# Aarghhh! It's not that hard to spell the damn word! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554 "2004-11-07T23:20:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/1 "2004-11-07T23:20:45Z")
A thread, in IMHO, reasonably popular, has me gritting my teeth every time I open the forum. The problem: the most _irritating_ mispelling in the English language, there, in full bold, in the title. [George W. Bush now has a mandate and nothing to loose, What’s going to happen.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=285106) Before you cry to me that it was a typo: click the link, read the thread. It’s there again, in the body of the OP. Why is this the word that crops up in a mis-spelt form so often, even on the SDMB. It’s not exactly complicated, like, say ‘_accommodation_’. For the spelling impaired: **Lose** : (as was intended in the above thread title) - [Link](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=lose) **Loose** : [Link](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=loose) PS: I felt the Pit needed a break from politics. What’s better than a good ol’ s/p/g (spelling/punctuation/grammar) rant? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/2 "2004-11-08T00:27:29Z")
Bah, that’s nothing. Would you like to see the absolute worst, most egregious, irritating and rage-inducing spelling error that one can make? Children should cover their eyes, the squeamish should look away, parental discretion advised, it’s: “Ludacrist” instead of “ludicrous”! GAAHH!! I usually don’t make a big deal about this type of thing, but whenever I see that particular abomination on the web I feel compelled to find out where the offender lives, hop on a plane, and stuff the illiterate little twit into a dumpster. I guess it’s annoying because it’s not just an innocent one-letter mistake or confusion between two valid words (i.e. loose\<-\>lose, it’s\<-\>its), but a complete and total mangling of the proper spelling! I mean, how dumb do you have to be to both a) think it’s actually pronounced that way, and b) not notice your mistake when you see the word spelled correctly at least several times a week? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/3 "2004-11-08T00:33:22Z")
Actually, the correct spelling is _aaaarrghh_. You are correct that it is not difficult to spell, but you still seem to have messed it up in the title. (Your secondary complaint about _loose_ for _lose_ is spot on, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/4 "2004-11-08T00:41:55Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > Actually, the correct spelling is _aaaarrghh_. You are correct that it is not difficult to spell, but you still seem to have messed it up in the title. I believe that the quadruple initial “a” is an accepted spelling in the States, while the OED lists the double “a” as the accepted English spelling. But you are right in one thing…the triple terminal “h” is just sloppy grammar. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/5 "2004-11-08T00:42:10Z")
**Absolute** : I’ve never seen such a ‘ludicrous’ spelling used earnestly on the Boards though, whereas I see ‘loose’ used for lose on a weekly basis. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/6 "2004-11-08T00:43:00Z")
You think that was a spelling error? I assumed that the OP in that thread meant that since the dogs of war have already been loosed, there was nothing more to loose. D & R ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/7 "2004-11-08T01:20:33Z")
There is one even more common than “loose”. It’s the use of “it’s” used instead of “its”. “It’s” means “It is”. “Its” refers to possession. Remember-It’s its. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/8 "2004-11-08T02:19:05Z")
I am an English teacher and the words on my students’ spelling list every year are “loose/lose.” However, my favorite spelling hobby horse is “definitely” and I have posted about it several times on this board. Why is it so hard for people to spell these words correctly? 'Tis a mystery for the ages. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/9 "2004-11-08T02:24:36Z")
I think your getting upset over nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/10 "2004-11-08T02:27:52Z")
The past tense of the verb “to lead” is spelled _led_, not _lead_. I’ve been seeing this one a lot lately. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/11 "2004-11-08T02:34:15Z")
Turn me lose on the sons-a-bitches that make these typos and I’ll kick their asses. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/12 "2004-11-08T02:40:30Z")
We must have better spelling than our president now… ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/13 "2004-11-08T02:52:30Z")
**bluecanary** Well, being a Boston resident (we’re all intellectual, stuck-up snobs you know), I think it is important to spell words correctly. Also, you said this thread would _not_ be political? You’ve got to be joking !!! 😃 With George Dubya Bush as our nation’s President for another 4 years, we have a rather poor role model for our citizens to improve they’re spellable and speakable skills. Boston - where the owls say “whom”. ---
**Author:** ![umop\_ap\_sdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/dbc845/32.png) [@umop\_ap\_sdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/umop_ap_sdn)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/14 "2004-11-08T02:59:27Z")
“Ridiculous” used to bug me until I found out that it’s the correct spelling. :smack: Now “rediculous” bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/15 "2004-11-08T03:20:41Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I think your getting upset over nothing. Yeah, I know it’s a joke, but I felt a primordial twinge of pain when I read it under your username. ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/16 "2004-11-08T03:33:49Z")
> [@Ignatz](#): > > There is one even more common than “loose”. It’s the use of “it’s” used instead of “its”. “It’s” means “It is”. “Its” refers to possession. Remember-It’s its. [Strong Bad] Ohhhh… If you want it to be possessive, it’s just “i-t-s” But if it’s supposed to be a contraction then it’s “i-t-apostrophe-s”… Scalawag! [/Strong Bad] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/17 "2004-11-08T03:34:01Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I think your getting upset over nothing. Their will be a day when you are called to account for that! ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/18 "2004-11-08T04:16:39Z")
Their their now, dont get to upset over it. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![LilyoftheValley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@LilyoftheValley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilyoftheValley)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/19 "2004-11-08T04:24:05Z")
To get back to the OP… It’s _a little bit_ hard. My dear intelligent husband – speaker of 5 languages, graduate of prestigious universities – has trouble spelling it. It’s the whole “lose rhymes with choose” issue. Loose, lose, choose, chose – he’s always asking me which is which. English is not his first language, so I’m cutting him some slack. Since living with him, I’ve cooled down a bit on the Spelling Nazi front, and I’m even willing to ignore these spellings in most folks’ everyday writing. However, if I get a professional letter with “loose” misspelled, you can guarantee I’m not going to want to do business with your company. :mad: As far as other common misspellings on this board, if I were **Weirddave** I would have had a coronary by now (64 hits for “Wierddave” by searching; I think the hamsters would go on strike if I searched for “wierd”). ---
**Author:** ![Marsie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@Marsie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marsie)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554/20 "2004-11-08T04:45:47Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I think your getting upset over nothing. Me to. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aarghhh-its-not-that-hard-to-spell-the-damn-word/273554.md?page=2)