# Most common typo/bad spelling/grammar on the web? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 31, 2001, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319 "2001-07-31T08:42:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/101 "2001-10-16T19:47:51Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by notcynical \* \*\* > [@](#): > > As will the adverb. I swear to you, noboby uses them any more, especially idiot sportscasters. If I hear another one say “the Redskins played _aggressive_ today” I’m gonna scream. \*\* Don’t worry, they still use adverbs–just in the wrong places. For example: “The Redskins aren’t playing very aggressive today because the team has so many injuries. You have to feel BADLY for them.” This is something that REALLY gets on my nerves!! No one ever says that they feel “happily” or “goodly” for someone else, so why they should feel “badly” for them is anybody’s guess. ---
**Author:** ![Salix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3e96dc/32.png) [@Salix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salix)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/102 "2001-10-16T20:55:35Z")
One of the ones I’ve seen that is common, but really shouldn’t be, is the replacement of the word “an” with “and” as in, “I ate and apple today.” I know I made fun of this typo in an earlier thread (or as some would say, _and_ earlier thread), but it bears repeating. I know a few web page designers who make that mistake all the time. Why is this so prevalent? “An” and “and” are two of the most common words in the English language, and their meanings are completely different! I really hope that this particular typo is just the unconscious result of people getting their neural pathways mixed up while they’re typing, or thinking a few words ahead, instead of genuine confusion about which word to use. ---
**Author:** ![Mielikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Mielikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mielikki)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/103 "2001-10-16T21:30:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dragonblink \* > \*\*… Also, when I lurked in a few Pagan chatrooms a while back, I would inevitably be asked if I worshipped Satin. This would usually lead to a discussion of rayon vs. silk. > \*\* I worked at a residential treatment center and some rebellious young punk wrote ‘Satin Rules’ on his arm with a pen. This attempt to be defiant backfired, of course, when staff were not only laughing about it, but running to tell other staff members so _they_ could laugh about it. Another common mistake I see on Pagan sites is ‘alter’ instead of ‘altar’. Blargh! P.S. This is my 100th post. Wheeee! ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/104 "2001-10-17T05:29:04Z")
Golly-wolly, I would prefer to dance with a man who enjoys dancing, but it sometimes happens that no one asks me. Or asks the friends I’m there with, all wishing a guy would ask. But the luck of the draw is this: there are more straight women wanting to dance than there are straight guys comfy with dancing. So, when the chair-dancing is killing us, we start dancing with each other. And once we do so, we feel goofy, and club-like, and defensive of each other. We are a little teensy weensy bit hurt that no male has asked. But we are definitely not lesbian. -Sue ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/105 "2001-10-17T05:30:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Another Primate \* > \*\*Golly-wolly, I would prefer to dance with a man who enjoys dancing, but it sometimes happens that no one asks me. Or asks the friends I’m there with, all wishing a guy would ask. But the luck of the draw is this: there are more straight women wanting to dance than there are straight guys comfy with dancing. So, when the chair-dancing is killing us, we start dancing with each other. And once we do so, we feel goofy, and club-like, and defensive of each other. We are a little teensy weensy bit hurt that no male has asked. But we are definitely not lesbian. > -Sue \*\* Sorry to quote myself, but what the heck was the thread I was responding to? Something jumped in-between. Sue ---
**Author:** ![pennylane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pennylane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pennylane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/106 "2001-10-17T13:00:55Z")
Damn, I read that really, really slowly three times to find all the subtle typos and grammatical errors which you were surely pointing out for us… ---
**Author:** ![Caiata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Caiata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caiata)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/107 "2001-10-17T13:24:58Z")
Okay, this has been bugging me for some time, so I’d like some of my fellow grammar Nazi’s input 🙂 (Oh! There’s one. Imput instead of input _twitch_) I was recently at the Boston aquarium, and there is a sign there that discusses the evolution of fish. It is one of the very last displays in the aquarium, if you are progressing _up_ the spiral, for any of those who live in Boston or nearby and want to verify. It’s on the fifth level and it is at the very, very end, tucked into a corner. Anyway, I was reading this sign and it made something similar to the following statement (i.e. I know that the portion concerning the perceived grammatical error is accurate, however the superfluous stuff around it I cannot recall): “These fish have evolved, and though living in the same area they are all different. For example, **fish A: it’s evolved** triangular fins to help its aerodynamicity.” Again, I can’t vouch for the technical accuracy of this - I saw it in February and I failed to take a photo of it. However, it irked me; “it’s” means “it is”, and that is clearly incorrect - “it is evolved triangular fins” makes no sense. It was obviously the intent to say, “it has evolved triangular fins” - which, while dodgy usage of the word “evolved” (in my book), is at least accurate. “It’s”, however, should not be used to mean “it has”. I know it is done in speech often - not by me, I’m far too anal! - but, does anyone know if it is actually correct? It disturbs me that I might have found a grammatical error in a _museum_ of all places. ---
**Author:** ![Caiata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Caiata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caiata)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/108 "2001-10-17T13:26:40Z")
That should be “grammar Nazis’ input”, as the sentence is plural. Would have caught that on a preview if I’d actually clicked on that button this time 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pennylane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pennylane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pennylane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/109 "2001-10-17T13:44:13Z")
**Caiata** , does that mean you wouldn’t use the word “he’s” as a shortened form of “he has”? So you wouldn’t say something like, “Oh no, he’s done it again”? Because as far as contractions go, I can’t see anything wrong with treating “has” the same way we treat “is”. ---
**Author:** ![Caiata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e56c9b/32.png) [@Caiata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caiata)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/110 "2001-10-17T13:56:22Z")
I’ve always said “He did it again,” in that particular situation … so as to avoid the desire to say “he has” as “he’s”. It’s easy to do in speech but I most certainly avoid it whenever writing, because somehow I got it into my head that it’s not correct usage of the contraction. Whether or not I am right about that, I do not know, which is why I asked. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/111 "2001-10-17T17:59:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Another Primate \* > \*\*Sorry to quote myself, but what the heck was the thread I was responding to? Something jumped in-between. > Sue \*\* None of my business, **A P** , but I guess you meant to post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=93183)? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/112 "2001-10-17T21:47:09Z")
The tree was struck by light **e** ning. and **tenants** when you mean **tenets** ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/113 "2001-10-17T23:11:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Another Primate \* > > \*\*Sorry to quote myself, but what the heck was the thread I was responding to? Something jumped in-between. > > Sue \*\* > > None of my business, **A P** , but I guess you meant to post [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=93183)? \*\* Ah, yes. Thanks! -Another ---
**Author:** ![Another\_Primate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Another\_Primate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Another_Primate)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319/114 "2001-10-17T23:22:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Caiata \* > \*\*I’ve always said “He did it again,” in that particular situation … so as to avoid the desire to say “he has” as “he’s”… Whether or not I am right about that, I do not know, which is why I asked. 🙂 \*\* Another vote (or should that be “Another’s vote”?) for using the contraction for ‘has’. Doggone! Where’s my dictionary? It’s usually right here! Ah, yessss – in the dining room, by the Pictionary game. OK, it doesn’t specifically address “has”, but it mentions “I’ve”. I’ve been away, he’s been away, she’s been away, it’s been away, they’ve… So I say, if “I’ve” is OK, why not “he’s”? -Another [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-common-typo-bad-spelling-grammar-on-the-web/74319.md?page=5)