# Common mispellings that seem to be taking over. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 22, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058 "2007-06-22T21:53:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/21 "2007-06-23T00:38:38Z")
Wallah! for Voila! ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/22 "2007-06-23T00:41:10Z")
[QUOTE=Coldfire] This one may have already been used, but what about “just desserts” for “just deserts”? [/QUOTE] Wait, what? “Just desserts” is correct, or am I being whooshed? And the one that I see most often is “loose” instead of “lose.” Joe ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/23 "2007-06-23T00:43:42Z")
On a job application submitted to the store at which I work, someone, in the “employment history” section, stated that they had worked for six months at “Jacking the Box.” Joe ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/24 "2007-06-23T01:02:30Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] One I’ve seen but not that often is Pre-Madonna for Prima Donna. [/QUOTE] Oh. My…Oh, my. ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/25 "2007-06-23T01:24:55Z")
I saw somebody use “as longest” for “as long as.” Took me a minute to figure out what she meant. Also “I feel someone justified.” (Okay, those aren’t spelling errors.) I can totally see “peak” for “pique” taking over. Because it sort of makes sense. Or seems to, anyway. Like using “free reign” if you don’t know it comes from horses, not kings. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/26 "2007-06-23T02:21:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Like using “free reign” Somebody help me please. ETA: Free rain? ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/27 "2007-06-23T02:25:05Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Somebody help me please. ETA: Free rain? [/QUOTE] I think “rein”, although I always thought it was “reign”. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/28 "2007-06-23T02:36:19Z")
While risking giving away my urban upbringing…a rein is what? ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/29 "2007-06-23T02:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] While risking giving away my urban upbringing…a rein is what? [/QUOTE] The strap attached to the bit in the horse’s mouth. The rider holds onto it, and uses it to tell the horse which direction to go in. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/30 "2007-06-23T03:37:15Z")
[QUOTE=wheresgeorge04] On a job application submitted to the store at which I work, someone, in the “employment history” section, stated that they had worked for six months at “Jacking the Box.” [/QUOTE] That’s not a misspelling, that’s an anatomical impossibility. One cannot _jack_ the box; one can only _jill_ the box. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/31 "2007-06-23T03:37:20Z")
The “free reign” reminds me of another common horse-related misquotation (not a misspelling, though): “Chomping at the bit” instead of the correct “champing at the bit”. And, to stay on topic: I often see Buddha misspelled as “Buddah” and Gandhi misspelled as “Ghandi”. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/32 "2007-06-23T03:53:07Z")
[QUOTE=Coldfire] This one may have already been used, but what about “just desserts” for “just deserts”? [/QUOTE] “Just desserts” is correct. I’ve seen “For all intensive purposes” a few times lately, instead of “For all intents and purposes.” ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/33 "2007-06-23T04:05:03Z")
I’m a big fan of alchohol. I know it’s wrong, but for some reason it’s what I type. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/34 "2007-06-23T04:17:23Z")
[QUOTE=It’s Not Rocket Surgery!] The “free reign” reminds me of another common horse-related misquotation (not a misspelling, though): “Chomping at the bit” instead of the correct “champing at the bit”. And, to stay on topic: I often see Buddha misspelled as “Buddah” and Gandhi misspelled as “Ghandi”. [/QUOTE] Gandhi is a transliteration from another language. I don’t know that there is a “correct” weah\* of spelling it. \*George Weah is a famous Liberian footballer, but I had to be sure to contribute something here. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/35 "2007-06-23T04:39:38Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] “Just desserts” is correct. [/QUOTE] Apparently not. [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=425357&page=7&pp=50) proved otherwise, which was news to me, as I’ve always thought it was “just desserts,” too. To quote **matt\_mcl** from the thread: “In this case, ‘deserts’ (still pronounced the same as ‘desserts’) is an archaic noun meaning ‘things that are deserved,’ surviving only in this expression.” ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/36 "2007-06-23T04:49:42Z")
Alot. Thanks alot. Alot is not correct. A lot. Two words. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/37 "2007-06-23T04:56:16Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Apparently not. [This thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=425357&page=7&pp=50) proved otherwise, which was news to me, as I’ve always thought it was “just desserts,” too. To quote **matt\_mcl** from the thread: “In this case, ‘deserts’ (still pronounced the same as ‘desserts’) is an archaic noun meaning ‘things that are deserved,’ surviving only in this expression.” [/QUOTE] Wow, ignorance totally fought. I was thoroughly with the “sweet bit coming to you at the end of the meal/revenge is sweet/you’ll get what’s coming to you, bucko” crowd. Shocking revelations courtesy of The 'Dope: -“Just deserts” -Pineapples don’t grow on trees. From here on out I promise to use the correct phrase and know in my little heart that I’m right, while also internally weeping and gnashing teeth knowing that everyone around me thinks I’m misusing the phrase. Being a horsey sort of kid myself, I knew “free rein,” although “free reign” made perfect sense to me–a king can, after all, do pretty much whatever he damn well pleases–and so I always had doubts writing it. My husband uses “alot” a lot. I briefly considered divorcing him over it, but when he told me I’d have to keep the cat I decided it was too much trouble. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/38 "2007-06-23T04:57:46Z")
Curse you **Ruby** and your speedy typing fingers! And curse you too, original _Scarface_ and your post-distracting, awesomely mustachio’ed gangsters! ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/39 "2007-06-23T05:05:13Z")
I used to look after the website for a well known weight-loss company. The wide spread use of “loose” for “lose” and “looser” for “loser” on the forums used to annoy me on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/40 "2007-06-23T05:43:54Z")
Any word containing an apostrophe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=3)