# How did all these letters get here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 20, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763 "2003-04-20T03:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a4c791/32.png) [@Lapin\_de\_poussiere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lapin_de_poussiere)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/21 "2003-04-20T19:16:25Z")
Brazil is also strange. This phenomenon is actually used to illustrate “the futility of language” in some absurdist theater pieces… Eugène Ionesco worked with it quite a bit, most notably in _Les chaises_, or _The Chairs_ One character, the Orator, is hired by The Old Man to explain T.O.M’s radical new theory… but then ends up not being able to vocalize anything more than “Mmm… gueue… gu…” and other such meaningless things. Uhh… thus endeth the hijack. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/22 "2003-04-20T19:39:02Z")
Wow. I am not alone! Spoon. Spoon. Fork. Fork spoon. This happens to me more often then I care to admit to. My theory is that we are all secretly aliens that think we’re human, and our language skills are reverting back to those that we knew before the DNA resequencing that allowed us to live on Earth. Of course, that could just be the drugs talking. Fork. spoon. spoon fork. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![Kathleen\_de\_Trelare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4bbf92/32.png) [@Kathleen\_de\_Trelare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kathleen_de_Trelare)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/23 "2003-04-20T19:40:19Z")
It happens to me all the time. It’s a deep dark secret that I’ve kept for years. Don’t tell anyone. If it comes out it could ruin me. I’m masquerading as a smart person. Oh no! Now _that_ doesn’t sound right! :eek: Somebody help me! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! ---
**Author:** ![Madame\_Zelda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Madame\_Zelda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madame_Zelda)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/24 "2003-04-20T19:42:41Z")
Heh, heh. You said masquerade. Heh, heh. Conscience & unconscience. I have to say Con Science just to remember how to spell the damn thing. And it still doesn’t look right. Doesn’t - the word NEVER looks right. ---
**Author:** ![juji\_mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@juji\_mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/juji_mojo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/25 "2003-04-20T22:47:16Z")
I get that with names … not that I cant think of the name, but it sounds silly, even insulting. Mar-gar-et. Marg-aret. Marg a ret. I cant call this woman THAT. How horrid. To top it off I have a co-worker who because of her language background has trouble distinguishing the difference between “Mary” and “Marie”. We have two residents with the same last name, named Mary and Marie. Mair-ee, Mah-ree, . I gabble those over and over and not only can I no longer distinguish the sounds, it becomes all absurd. We just call one “little Mary Lastname,” vs “Marie Lastname” and then I re clarify… the one who lives on the south wing. ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/26 "2003-04-20T23:03:07Z")
This happened to me just today actually. I was typing about “varieties” and all these thoughts about no, that cant’ be right kept going through my head. I kept thinking, “okay, vari - ety, right? So varities” But no, that would be “vari-ties…vari-ties? Vary ties? No, no its var - i - it ies. No, that’s varEITEs!! ahhh!!” var i-et-ies. Wheeew, there we go! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/27 "2003-04-20T23:11:43Z")
I once knew a guy named Trellis. Actually his name was Alistair, but once upon a time, someone relaized that if you repeat his name over and over, it sounds like you’re saying “trellis trellis trellis trellis.” So everyone calls him trellis. I get mixed up with wrods like “tomorrow.” Is it “tommmmmorow” or “tomorrrrrrrrow.”? And “hamburger”. Hambuger. Hangaburger. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/28 "2003-04-20T23:13:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by juji\_mojo \* > \*\*To top it off I have a co-worker who because of her language background has trouble distinguishing the difference between “Mary” and “Marie”. We have two residents with the same last name, named Mary and Marie. Mair-ee, Mah-ree, . I gabble those over and over and not only can I no longer distinguish the sounds, it becomes all absurd. > \*\* About an hour from Toronto and quite close to one another are two little towns: Maryhill and Merryhill. This annoys me. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/29 "2003-04-20T23:31:06Z")
**OMG** so it’s not just me!? It happens to me all the time too. If you say a word over and over again in your head, it starts not seeming like a real word! ---
**Author:** ![Mastema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/94ad74/32.png) [@Mastema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mastema)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/30 "2003-04-21T01:34:04Z")
I don’t think this is a phenomenon specific to language, sometimes if you just look at one thing long enough, (i.e. Your face in a mirror, or a photograph) it will stop being recognizable to you. CuriousCanuck said he thinks we may all be aliens, and I am frightened to admit that I have had the same thought at times like this when I forget language. \*\* Jockey. . . Hmmm. I wonder where I learned that language. Jock - ey. . . Odd that. Oh well, I see that it is time to report to the mother ship. \*\* This would have been a quote, but the word quote is looking a little suspect right now. QUOTE. . .Cue Oty . . . Kwa Oty. . . Hmm, there I go again, now I’m late with my report from Earth ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/31 "2003-04-21T01:42:04Z")
This reminds me of a book called something like “I mistook my wife for a hat” ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/32 "2003-04-21T02:16:25Z")
From. I can’t get it right. It doesn’t LOOK right! From. Frome. Foam? Froghm? Frog-ham? Froughm. Phrom. From from from from from from from. It’s one of those words that I type automatically, because I use it so often. Then I’ll go back, and while rereading, hit a wall. From? What tha… Egad. Fork is pretty bad, too. So’s length, it should be legnth. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/33 "2003-04-21T02:26:28Z")
Let’s give it a go… telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone telephone Got to go, the bannana is ringing. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/34 "2003-04-21T04:40:48Z")
It has actually just happened! The word ‘firm’ is no longer recognisable! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/35 "2003-04-21T11:35:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > \*\*This reminds me of a book called something like “I mistook my wife for a hat” \*\* [The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0684853949/qid=1050925015/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-7366823-2624630?v=glance&s=books&n=507846). Excellent book, by the way. Thank you. Ironically, I wanted to post that, but I could NOT, for the life of me, remember the title until you alluded to it. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/36 "2003-04-21T13:00:22Z")
When I was 13 I took a spelling test. 100 words. If I got less than five wrong, I could go up to the next level. I got stuck on ‘dying’. I could not figure out how to spell it - I sat there for five minutes trying to figure it out. I ended up spelling it ‘dieing’ and that was my fifth incorrect word, so failed to go up a level. Darn thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mariemarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/58f4c7/32.png) [@Mariemarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mariemarie)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/37 "2003-04-21T13:57:01Z")
water water water water water WATER W-A-T-E-R water water water water water w…a…t…e…r WATER WA-TER T A E W R WATER ---
**Author:** ![modro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@modro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/modro)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/38 "2003-04-21T14:48:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CuriousCanuck \* > \*\*Wow. I am not alone! Spoon. Spoon. Fork. Fork spoon… > > …Fork. spoon. spoon fork. > > Sigh. \*\* Spork! I had this problem myself on many occasions. One time, in third grade, I completely forgot the spelling of “of” I realized, that “of” really is a goofy word, which should be spelled “ov,” but isn’t. Of Of… Hmm… definitely goofy. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/39 "2003-04-21T15:18:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by modro \* > **I had this problem myself on many occasions. One time, in third grade, I completely forgot the spelling of “of” I realized, that “of” really is a goofy word, which should be spelled “ov,” but isn’t.** Gah! Are you me? I came to this thread to post the exact same thing! For me, it happened right after summer vacation. I can’t remember what grade I was in, though, but it was in elementary school. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763/40 "2003-04-21T15:48:53Z")
I hate when I lock up trying to spell something. Once my brain starts THINKING about the spelling, then nothing looks right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-all-these-letters-get-here/169763.md?page=1)