# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/161 "2007-07-05T18:59:16Z")
[QUOTE=Thudlow Boink] Dagnabbit, folks, the words “phenomena” and “criteria” are plural! If you only have one of them, it’s a phenomenon or a criterion. [/QUOTE] … or a daton. Wait… what? 😃 (Yes, yes, I \*\*know \*\*it’s a “datum”) ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/162 "2007-07-05T19:51:37Z")
> [@robby](#): > > Also, “orientate” instead of “orient”. This battle has been going on for over 150 years, to the point that “orientate” has entered the language as an actual word. Nevertheless, it’s a much newer word than “orient,” evidently being coined as a back-formation from “orientation.” Personally, I just cringe when hear that a new employee is being “orientated.” Really? You’d rather they be “oriented”? Do new employees usually bring a compass and map on the first day? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/163 "2007-07-06T17:15:48Z")
[QUOTE=guizot] I think we’re cross-talking here. I obviously don’t think that **jjim** is likely to become literally violent and smash the glass around the Constitution :rolleyes:. It was (an attempt at least at) a humorous way of making a point. The figurative (i.e., the **opposite of literal** ) use of saying that someone’s misspelling makes him or her want to do violent things is not what I have a problem with (in fact, that part is what I liked). It’s the degree of sentiment behind those figurative phrases that I was commenting on. [/QUOTE] I still think you need to learn to deal gracefully with people’s use of hyperbole. If you think you’re funny, you’re mistaken. You just come across as a stick in the mud. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e36b37/32.png) [@Not\_A\_Tame\_Lion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_A_Tame_Lion)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/164 "2007-07-06T22:19:31Z")
[QUOTE=Auntbeast] There was a sign posted today stating that “the break room is strickly for Company Name Employees.” I changed it to “strictly”. A new sign appeared today, “The break room is _exclusively_ for Company Name Employees.” Yes, exclusively was italicized. [/QUOTE] Gah! I thought the ‘strickly’ for ‘strictly’ thing was just a local phenomenon, produced by the morons here in my office. You mean this idiocy is spreading? I can’t stand it. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/165 "2007-07-07T18:46:49Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] I still think you need to learn to deal gracefully with people’s use of hyperbole. If you think you’re funny, you’re mistaken. You just come across as a stick in the mud. [/QUOTE] Well maybe it’s a question of geography; in California, we don’t bother to put sticks in the mud. Why would one want to do such a thing? [Was there something ungraceful about that comment? Did it really offend you?] I believe that, while, maybe it’s not funny, at least it’s not “ungraceful.” I agree with you COMPLETELY, **Opal** , that one should deal with people in verbal communication gracefully. I admit that I have not always done that here. How graceful should I be? (I’ve never studied ballet. Was that an ungraceful thing to say?) I will say, though, that you have a good point that grace comes into language a lot; not so much in SNAE (with the South as an exception) as in East Asian languages. But I think we’re [cross-talking](http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0039-8322(198206)16%3A2%3C245%3AC%3E2.0.CO%3B2-0) because you still seem to think that I disapprove of such language, when I made a deliberate point of saying I DON’T disapprove of it: I was simply saying: It’s no problem for me Will it be ungraceful to quote myself? [QUOTE=guizot] makes him or her want to do violent things is not what I have a problem with (in fact, that part is what I liked). [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=guizot] I was simply saying that such vehemence seemed rather extreme to me. [/QUOTE] (I.e.), it was not the “hyperbole” that I was commenting on; it was the sentiment. I believe that “hyperbole” should be congruent to sentiment. It seems you don’t. So if someone bumps you in the elevator by accident you say to your co-worker, “I wanted to punch him in the face.” I say, “Isn’t that a little extreme? It was probably an accident.” Is that being “ungraceful.?” Or just realistic? The same thing happens with language. And anyway, this thread was about misspellings, not hyperbole. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2007, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/166 "2007-07-07T19:03:36Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] If you think you’re funny, you’re mistaken. You just come across as a stick in the mud. [/QUOTE] Well, you maybe be right about that. But here in California we have things like [understatement](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understatement), and [irony](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony) Someday they might come to your whereabouts. Then we can do a survey and find out exactly where and how many sticks there are in the mud in the various areas of the country. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/167 "2007-07-08T18:43:30Z")
Jesus Christ, let it go already. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/168 "2007-07-08T22:22:55Z")
I hope to God these don’t “take over” but within this past week, I saw the following prominently displayed signs. Painted in huge, neon green letters across the plate-glass window of a local florist: **CUSTOM BO-KAYS** And on a large endcap display of OTC allergy meds within maybe twelve feet of the pharmacy counter, a computer-printed sale sign advertising: **Benadryl Allergy Kapseals** Much weeping and gnashing of teeth ensued. I even pointed this second one out to the girl behind the counter, who sighed and said “I noticed, but no one else cares”. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/169 "2007-07-08T22:26:24Z")
I’ve mentioned this before, ages ago, but it bears repeating here, to respond to **NajaNivea**. I was in the supermarket once, and saw a handwritten sign on a display of Cap’n Crunch cereal that said: “Capten Cronch.” ---
**Author:** ![Critical\_Mass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@Critical\_Mass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical_Mass)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/170 "2007-07-09T00:32:21Z")
I’ve issues with the misuse of the words effect and affect. ---
**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:** [July 9, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/171 "2007-07-09T02:22:29Z")
[QUOTE=NajaNivea] And on a large endcap display of OTC allergy meds within maybe twelve feet of the pharmacy counter, a computer-printed sale sign advertising: **Benadryl Allergy Kapseals** Much weeping and gnashing of teeth ensued. I even pointed this second one out to the girl behind the counter, who sighed and said “I noticed, but no one else cares”. [/QUOTE] No one cares because _it’s a goshdarned trade name._ [Looka here.](http://www.drugstore.com/qxp11385_333181_sespider/benadryl/allergy_relief_kapseals.htm) > [@drugstore.com](#): > > Benadryl Allergy Kapseals® capsule safety system has been designed with these two features: > > An advanced capsule sealing process fuses the two capsule halves together into one secure unit. > A Kapseals safety band has been applied where the capsule halves meet as an additional seal. ---
**Author:** ![Donovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@Donovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donovan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/172 "2007-07-09T02:43:52Z")
don’t see it here (good job, dopers!), but I see it all over and it drives me absolutely nuts: rediculous (ridiculous) ---
**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:** [July 9, 2007, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/173 "2007-07-09T03:13:33Z")
I apologize if it’s been mentioned before, but BBQ for “barbecue.” Since Korean barbecue is popular over here, I see it a lot. Also VDO for “video”; that one is everywhere! ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/174 "2007-07-09T13:33:56Z")
I just saw an ad by someone who’s giving away her “dinning _[sic]_ room table.” I see that misspelling very often. In fact, it’s probably a whole class of misspellings: doubling a letter unnecessarily. Or failing to double a letter when it’s called for. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/175 "2007-07-09T13:41:08Z")
One class of (to my mind) misspellings, which fits the OP in that it might now be considered a correct alternative, is to include the E in adjectives like “pricey” and “ropey”. I hate it, but I think that that battle might already have been lost. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/176 "2007-07-09T14:34:50Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] In fact, it’s probably a whole class of misspellings: doubling a letter unnecessarily. Or failing to double a letter when it’s called for. [/QUOTE] We must be loosing our speling skils! ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/177 "2007-07-09T15:05:09Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] We must be loosing our speling skils! [/QUOTE] Gahh! MEDIC! ---
**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:** [July 9, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/178 "2007-07-09T15:49:49Z")
I hesitate to invoke the prosthetic infarction, but your a looser, you morron! ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/179 "2007-07-09T19:10:13Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] I just saw an ad by someone who’s giving away her “dinning _[sic]_ room table.” I see that misspelling very often. [/QUOTE] The local Holiday Inn restaurant advertises CASUAL DINNING. I wonder if the [guy who sang _Teen Angel_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Dinning) is making an informally joyful noise after returning from the Great Beyond… ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058/180 "2007-07-10T02:47:15Z")
[QUOTE=Fiver] I just saw an ad by someone who’s giving away her “dinning _[sic]_ room table.” I see that misspelling very often. [/QUOTE] You should check out CraigsList - nearly all the furniture listed is ‘wodden.’ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/common-mispellings-that-seem-to-be-taking-over/409058.md?page=10)