# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Butterscotch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dc4da7/32.png) [@Butterscotch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Butterscotch)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/61 "2007-06-23T16:20:27Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Thudlow Boink** > Alright, what is it? > [@](#): > > **5-4-Fighting** Per the OP, don’t you really won’t to type “allright”? > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **Thudlow Boink** I considered adding a smiley, but I hoped people wouldn’t get whooshed. How whoosed were you going for? [It’s alright or all right but never allright](http://dictionary.cambridge.org/results.asp?searchword=alright&dict=CALD&phonetics=) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/62 "2007-06-24T03:50:51Z")
[QUOTE=Licentious Ectomorph] judg **e** ment [/QUOTE] Whether that’s a misspelling depends on whether you’re American or British. And if you want to talk about all the words those Brits misspell (from an American perspective), or vice versa… ---
**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 24, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/63 "2007-06-24T04:19:07Z")
[QUOTE=Licentious Ectomorph] judg **e** ment [/QUOTE] Hold on there. “Judgement” is the British spelling. “Judgment” is the American spelling. Believe me, you get to know all about British spellings living over here, as they tend to predominate. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/64 "2007-06-24T04:32:51Z")
One which drives me buggy (and I see this a lot) is “comming” instead of “coming.” There’s only one “m,” knuckleheads! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/65 "2007-06-24T04:55:56Z")
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress] A local hospital has huge billboards with the picture of someone swinging a child in the air and the caption reads “I choose spinal surgery at GreatHospital.” If you are swinging that kid, you already had the surgery and you **chose** to have it at GreatHospital. [/QUOTE] In this case, it’s probably just a matter of some ad guy choOsing an illustration that ends up being inappropriate to the written message. Happens all the time. How about “grizzly” for “grisly”? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/66 "2007-06-24T10:34:46Z")
Principal, principle. Everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/67 "2007-06-24T13:01:25Z")
maintenance maintainance maintainence … [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com) says the first is right, and so does my spell checker, but I’ve seen the second numerous times in the sort of setting where people don’t generally guess at spellings (professional websites, packages, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/68 "2007-06-24T13:52:52Z")
“chaise lounge” God, I hate that. I’m pretty convinced that about 90% of Americans believe it’s the correct spelling and/or pronunciation. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/69 "2007-06-24T13:59:08Z")
Similarly, “three-piece suit”. Also, using “cliche” as an adjective instead of “clichéd”. It seems to be a legitimate usage according to [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), but I still hate it. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/70 "2007-06-24T14:29:46Z")
“You’ve got another thing coming” should be “You’ve got another thin **k** coming,” as in: “If you think X, you’ve got another think coming.” ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/71 "2007-06-24T14:39:12Z")
[QUOTE=ShibbOleth] Gandhi is a transliteration from another language. I don’t know that there is a “correct” weah\* of spelling it. [/QUOTE] If you’re talking about the family name in general, then no. If you’re talking about Mahatma Gandhi, then the correct spelling is the one he used. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/72 "2007-06-24T16:49:11Z")
> [@](#): > > “You’ve got another thing coming” should be “You’ve got another think coming,” Not according to my handy Judas Preist book of the English language. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/73 "2007-06-24T17:27:38Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] Not according to my handy Judas Preist book of the English language. [/QUOTE] This causes me significant cognitive dissonance (not Judas Priest; the phrase). I had never heard “another think” before the SDMB. And yet I can see it’s logical. But it sounds ridiculous to me. Is it a US/UK thing - or have I just been brung up not speakee the English rite? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/74 "2007-06-24T17:31:05Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Similarly, “three-piece suit”. [/QUOTE] Ok, fight my ignorance. What is wrong with that one? ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/75 "2007-06-24T18:07:02Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] This causes me significant cognitive dissonance (not Judas Priest; the phrase). I had never heard “another think” before the SDMB. And yet I can see it’s logical. But it sounds ridiculous to me. Is it a US/UK thing - or have I just been brung up not speakee the English rite? [/QUOTE] The latter, I’m afraid. I’m as UK as you are, but I’d never heard “another thing” until I got Doped up. On the subject of “three piece suit”, though… [QUOTE=OpalCat] Ok, fight my ignorance. What is wrong with that one? [/QUOTE] Glad you asked. If it’s tailoring, nothing. If it’s upholstery, however, it’s deficient to the tune of one “e”. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/76 "2007-06-24T18:22:01Z")
Oh, and on the subject of misuse of French borrowed phrases, “en suite” already contains a preposition. In practical terms it means “with adjoining bathroom”. “All rooms (are) en suite” is correct. “All rooms come with en suite” is incorrect. Same applies to “au jus” - “with juice”. “With au jus” = “With with juice”. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/77 "2007-06-24T18:30:59Z")
I’ve never heard “another thin **k** coming” before either, and I’m an American. In fact, before this thread, I would have looked strangely at someone using the phrase. They seem to both make sense though, so I don’t know why one is right or wrong. To be honest, I’ve never heard “think” used as a noun before. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/78 "2007-06-24T18:34:07Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] I’ve never heard “another thin **k** coming” before either, and I’m an American. In fact, before this thread, I would have looked strangely at someone using the phrase. They seem to both make sense though, so I don’t know why one is right or wrong. To be honest, I’ve never heard “think” used as a noun before. [/QUOTE] The reason you’ve never heard it used as a noun outside of that phrase is because it’s _not_. In the context of the phrase it’s a joke, a deliberate misplacing of the word. I got it even as a kid on the receiving end of the phrase. Add me to the list of those who’d never heard “another THING” before the 'Dope. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/79 "2007-06-24T18:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=WotNot] Glad you asked. If it’s tailoring, nothing. If it’s upholstery, however, it’s deficient to the tune of one “e”. [/QUOTE] I’ve never heard the term applied to anything other than clothing. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/80 "2007-06-24T18:36:25Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Ok, fight my ignorance. What is wrong with that one? [/QUOTE] If you’re wearing it, nothing. If it’s for sitting best just buy a sectional instead. This one’s not so much a misspelling, but “real-ity” (realty) seems to have taken hold around here. Guh. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=5)