# I just realized.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883 "2013-05-09T12:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/1 "2013-05-09T12:29:41Z")
I made a really dumb mistake in another post: I wrote something was given _ **a free reign** _ when I should have said _ **free rein** _. It wasn’t because I don’t know the difference between the two (I do), or because I had been working all night (I had). I wrote it because I was thinking and typing at normal speed, and that’s just what came out unconsciously. :smack: Is there a name for this phenomenon? How often does it happen to other people? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/2 "2013-05-09T12:36:00Z")
I usually call it “oops” or “fucking up a little.” ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/3 "2013-05-09T12:43:16Z")
It’s called “misspelling” and it’s very common when intelligent people with large vocabularies aren’t paying sufficient attention and substitute a homophone. Relax, it’s normal. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/4 "2013-05-09T12:44:40Z")
I only get concerned when I make these kinds of errors in a work email. 1. Type email 2. Proof read 3. Send 4. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/5 "2013-05-09T12:48:55Z")
I forgive you, **terentii**. What’s important is that you understand what you did wrong, and you’ll try not to do it in the future. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/6 "2013-05-09T13:00:04Z")
Moving from Cafe Society to MPSIMS. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/7 "2013-05-09T13:01:37Z")
I call 'em “word-os” instead of typos; I often make wordographical errors. 😛 ---
**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:** [May 9, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/8 "2013-05-09T13:15:53Z")
Eye donut no watt you’re righting a bout. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/9 "2013-05-09T19:34:27Z")
What I hate is when I accidentally a word without realizing it. Even upon rereading I may not notice, because I know that word is supposed to be there. ---
**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:** [May 9, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/10 "2013-05-09T19:43:52Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > What I hate is when I accidentally a word without realizing it. Even upon rereading I may not notice, because I know that word is supposed to be there. This happens to me a lot. Apparently my brain is thinking faster than I can type, so I type the next word instead. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/11 "2013-05-09T19:44:19Z")
**BigT** is one of those subtle comedians. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/12 "2013-05-09T19:52:19Z")
If it makes you feel any better, I just totally forgot how to spell ‘‘impermanence.’’ And I almost always spell ‘‘disappear’’ wrong. (Well, I rarely spell it wrong anymore because I have written it so many times while explaining that I can’t spell it.) Those aren’t even the dumbest things I’ve done today. It’s okay to be unperfect. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/13 "2013-05-09T19:53:47Z")
Iv’e nevver maid eny speling oar grammer misteaks sew eye wooden no. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/14 "2013-05-11T05:01:04Z")
Just bless you for knowing there _is_ a difference! ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/15 "2013-05-11T06:25:09Z")
OP, what you are describing is a serious medical condition. Please go talk to your doctor, lawyer, and astrologer about this right away. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/16 "2013-05-11T07:36:16Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I made a really dumb mistake in another post: I wrote something was given _ **a free reign** _ when I should have said _ **free rein** _. It wasn’t because I don’t know the difference between the two (I do), or because I had been working all night (I had). I wrote it because I was thinking and typing at normal speed, and that’s just what came out unconsciously. :smack: > > Is there a name for this phenomenon? How often does it happen to other people? 😕 [Apparently](http://www.dailywritingtips.com/free-rein-or-free-reign/) it’s very common. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/17 "2013-05-11T07:41:59Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > OP, what you are describing is a serious medical condition. Please go talk to your doctor, lawyer, and astrologer about this right away. I c ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-realized/657883/18 "2013-05-11T08:34:49Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > OP, what you are describing is a serious medical condition. Please go talk to your doctor, lawyer, and astrologer about this right away. **[In the voice of Leonard Nimoy’s Mr Spock]:** Thank you, drewtwo99. I shall seriously consider your advice. 🙂 In _Lincoln at Gettysburg_, Garry Wills mentions a similar phenomenon that he calls “dittography” in describing how Lincoln would write out copies of his Address once he was back in Washington: apparently, Abe would unconsciously repeat or omit words, or inadvertently use synonyms that were almost interchangeable with the text’s original words, but not quite. Wills explained this by saying that the mind races ahead of the eye while writing, and we don’t notice the differences until after we’ve already written them. In other words, we all do fuck up on occasion. 😃