# Plonk **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 4, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880 "2001-12-04T19:04:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Parisx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@Parisx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parisx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/1 "2001-12-04T19:04:56Z")
What’s the deal with the pointing out of spelling errors? Is that just some sort of pathetic “reach”. I would bet that a very large percentage of teh assholes that point that out while flaming someone, mispell shit all the time. It all seems kind of pathetic, comming from a flame artist that should know better. Try again. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/2 "2001-12-04T19:12:40Z")
I am sure you mean “the”, not “teh” and “coming”, not “comming”, correct? ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/3 "2001-12-04T19:15:24Z")
And **Gaudere** ’s Law strikes again! I type and proofread as part of my job, so pointing out errors comes naturally (and making errors is rare). Give me a big red Sharpie marker and I’m happy. 😉 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/4 "2001-12-04T19:21:41Z")
Shouldn’t there be a question mark after pathetic “reach” rather than a period? Two reasons I can see for drive-by editorials: Nothing better to say (as in, not inspired to say anything by the relevant post), or it’s darn funny (“did you really mean to say you’d do Jimmy Hoffa?”). ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/5 "2001-12-04T19:24:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Caricci \* > \*\*I am sure you mean “the”, not “teh” and “coming”, not “comming”, correct? \*\* And **you** meant for those commas to be **inside** the quotation marks, didn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/6 "2001-12-04T19:28:21Z")
Presenting **Parisx** , ladies and gentlemen, the master of the “Gee, haven’t I heard this before?” genre of Pit Rants! ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/7 "2001-12-04T19:48:40Z")
Picking on someone’s spelling can be a cheap way of attacking their post without really having any useful argument to make. If I don’t like someone’s point, I can pick on their grammar and spelling all day and look like a champ because I’m scoring points off of them. That being said… On the other hand, this is a written forum. The only way we all have to express our thoughts to each other here is by using words, and by using them carefully and correctly. Look at some of the most established and readable posters ( **Fenris** , **Scylla** , and **Collounsbury** readily spring to mind). Check out their posting style. Spelled correctly, well-worded, carefully-thought-out. That gets the point across much better than a half-literate messy brain-dump that nobody can read, much less understand. When your post contains three spelling errors, at least two errors in grammar, and two punctuation errors (as in the OP), the point you’re trying to make becomes muddled and harder to understand. One or two spelling errors in a post, no biggie. But when the post is loaded with errors, it doesn’t come across as witty or intelligent – it comes across as ignorant. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/8 "2001-12-04T19:51:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bob Scene \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Caricci \* > > \*\*I am sure you mean “the”, not “teh” and “coming”, not “comming”, correct? \*\* > > And **you** meant for those commas to be **inside** the quotation marks, didn’t you? \*\* Oh, how dare you! That’s just so wrong! Just kidding. I suppose you’re right about those commas. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/9 "2001-12-04T19:51:51Z")
I will say, I don’t hate this enough to start a Pit rant, but the fucking spelling and grammar correctors (all of you- every blessed one) can kiss my ass. I even got called on the carpet once for spelling “hatful” wrong (and it WASN’T fucking wrong). Keep your sharpies in your pocket when you’re on the boards, or stick 'em up your ass. No one likes to feel like they’re being graded on spelling once they’re out of elementary school. “Oh, you spelled a word wrong- you’re stupid”. No, sometimes you make a freaking typo, you know? Give it a rest. It only makes you look like a smug jerk. Zette (have fun picking apart my post, assmunches) ---
**Author:** ![k.os](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@k.os](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k.os)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/10 "2001-12-04T19:58:33Z")
😕 I don’t understand why the thread is called plonk. Here I was expecting a rant about usenet, where plonking is most common, and instead I get a rant on people pointing out spelling mistakes. Well, [_PLONK!_](http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/jargon/html/entry/plonk.html) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/11 "2001-12-04T19:59:43Z")
**Zette** , shouldn’t that be ass-munches? 😉 I really don’t have much feeling one way or the other, but what the hell does the word “plonk” have to do with any of this? ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/12 "2001-12-04T21:22:15Z")
Laur, don’t MAKE me come over there! 😉 Zette ---
**Author:** ![Parisx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@Parisx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parisx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/13 "2001-12-04T21:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zette \* > \*\*I will say, I don’t hate this enough to start a Pit rant, but the fucking spelling and grammar correctors (all of you- every blessed one) can kiss my ass. I even got called on the carpet once for spelling “hatful” wrong (and it WASN’T fucking wrong). > > Keep your sharpies in your pocket when you’re on the boards, or stick 'em up your ass. No one likes to feel like they’re being graded on spelling once they’re out of elementary school. > > “Oh, you spelled a word wrong- you’re stupid”. No, sometimes you make a freaking typo, you know? Give it a rest. It only makes you look like a smug jerk. > > Zette > > (have fun picking apart my post, assmunches) \*\* AMEN!!! ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/14 "2001-12-04T21:31:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zette \* > \*\*Laur, don’t MAKE me come over there! > > 😉 > \*\* Oh, you don’t have to. It was such a stretch, I totally made up that hyphen thing. Ahh… the joys of being on the boards for hours on end. ---
**Author:** ![Parisx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bb73d2/32.png) [@Parisx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parisx)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/15 "2001-12-04T21:32:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Caricci \* > \*\*I am sure you mean “the”, not “teh” and “coming”, not “comming”, correct? \*\* See the following thread [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102120](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=102120) As it relates to teh word the ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/16 "2001-12-04T22:07:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Here I was expecting a rant about usenet . . . and I was expecting something about cheap red wine. I’m not sure which of us is the more pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![dinahmoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8797f3/32.png) [@dinahmoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dinahmoe)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/17 "2001-12-04T23:50:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andros \* > > . . . and I was expecting something about cheap red wine. I’m not sure which of us is the more pitiful. \*\* And I was expecting to read about cheap white wine, making me the most pitiful. ---
**Author:** ![Ferrous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Ferrous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferrous)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/18 "2001-12-05T00:02:12Z")
**dinahmoe** hum? ---
**Author:** ![peepthis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@peepthis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peepthis)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/19 "2001-12-05T00:25:29Z")
from [http://www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) : > [@](#): > > ped·ant > Pronunciation: 'pe-d&nt > Function: noun > > 2 a : one who makes a show of knowledge b : \*\*one who is _unimaginative_ or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge \*\*c : a formalist or precisionist in teaching Show me a pedant and I’ll show you someone whose better contribtion would be silence. ---
**Author:** ![Greyson3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/258eb7/32.png) [@Greyson3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greyson3)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2001, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880/20 "2001-12-05T01:39:34Z")
Bob Scene said: > [@](#): > > And you meant for those commas to be inside the quotation marks, didn’t you? Actually, both ways are acceptable. I rather prefer outside when I am not actually quoting the punctuation. I have heard that punctuation outside quotation marks is a more European convention. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/plonk/96880.md?page=2)