# \[sic\] **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 3, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626 "2001-12-03T15:11:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Photog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/1 "2001-12-03T15:11:05Z")
Okay, I know this has been covered before, but I’ve seen it so many times in a very short period recently that it is begining to piss me off. [sic] is **NOT** used to indicate that you are unsure of the spelling of the particular word you just typed. [sic] is used when quoting someone and the quote itself includes a gramatical or spelling error. You use it as a way of indicating to the reader: “I’m not the dummy here. The person I’m quoting made the mistake. I’m quoting said person exactly and am therefore including the mistake **they** made.” Let’s try and keep that straight, okay? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/2 "2001-12-03T15:12:03Z")
You got it. Okya?(sic) ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/3 "2001-12-03T15:16:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Photog \* > [sic] is used when quoting someone and the quote itself includes a gramatical **[sic]** or spelling error. tee-hee ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/4 "2001-12-03T15:18:05Z")
> [@](#): > > **Photog \*\* > Okay, I know this has been covered before, but I’ve seen it so many times in a very short period recently that it is begining**[sic]\*\* to piss me off. > [sic] is **NOT** used to indicate that you are unsure of the spelling of the particular word you just typed. > [sic] is used when quoting someone and the quote itself includes a gramatical\*\*[sic]\*\* or spelling error. > You use it as a way of indicating to the reader: “I’m not the dummy here. The person I’m quoting made the mistake. I’m quoting said person exactly and am therefore including the mistake **they** made.” > Let’s try and keep that straight, okay? > Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/5 "2001-12-03T15:22:41Z")
You have to love [Gaudere’s Law](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=82901) (or pretty close to it) in action. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/6 "2001-12-03T16:10:42Z")
Oh, c’mon. You just know that **Photog** put those typos in there on purpose, just to generate interest. At least, that’s what _I’d_ claim if _I_ were the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/7 "2001-12-03T18:12:30Z")
gotcha ya! [sic] ---
**Author:** ![Photog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/8 "2001-12-03T18:22:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh, c’mon. You just know that Photog put those typos in there on purpose, just to generate interest. Yes…of course. You see all of those mistakes were cleverly included as a teaching tool…in order to give you all practice at the proper use of [sic]. [sub]…carefully proofreading…carefully proofreading…carefully proofreading…and hesitantly clicking…submit[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/9 "2001-12-03T18:47:05Z")
Slight hijack, but . . . I know people who seem to take delight in “sic-ing” other people. Grow up. Just fix the mistake and put the correction itself in brackets. Example: suppose you are quoting the following: “The coow jumped over the moon.” Bad: > [@](#): > > The coow [sic] jumped over the moon. Good: > [@](#): > > The [cow] jumped over the moon. ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/10 "2001-12-03T18:59:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I know people who seem to take delight in “sic-ing” other people. Grow up. Just fix the mistake and put the correction itself in brackets. I think you call that hitting the nail on the head. Crazy fools think their better than others because of typos??? Feeling superior because of spelling??? Whatever. That’s what proofers are for. No proofers? Typos. Oh well. It’s not like these posts are memo’s to clients. It’s just chit chat. I think this fits in under the “Lighten up” category. DaLovin’ Dj ---
**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 3, 2001, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/11 "2001-12-03T19:07:41Z")
[/sic] Dang, I hate it when people forget to close their tags. ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/12 "2001-12-03T19:21:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dalovindj \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > I know people who seem to take delight in “sic-ing” other people. Grow up. Just fix the mistake and put the correction itself in brackets. > > I think you call that hitting the nail on the head. Crazy fools think _**[they’re]**_ better than others because of typos??? Feeling superior because of spelling??? Whatever. That’s what proofers are for. No proofers? Typos. Oh well. It’s not like these posts are memo’s to clients. It’s just chit chat. I think this fits in under the “Lighten up” category. > > DaLovin’ Dj \*\* ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/13 "2001-12-03T19:33:49Z")
Actually there is excellent reason to preserve the _proper_ use of “[sic]” – when the _subject_ under discussion is a literary or historical figure being quoted, one preserves his or her writings intact, annotating with “[sic]” when his or her usage differs from today’s standard. For example, the word “choose” does not occur in the Constitution, despite its numerous references to a choice being made; Madison wrote “chuse” [sic]. The bracketed change in a direct quote has a quite different use. For example, I could note that **lucwarm** suggested that we “[j]ust fix the mistake and put the correction itself in brackets.” Since he wrote this as an imperative with the J properly capitalized, I _adapt_ his words to the syntax of my sentence by putting the J into lowercase and bracketing it to show that it was not, in fact, what **lucwarm** wrote. To use them together, **dalovindj** wrote of “[c]razy fools [who] think their [sic] better than others because of typos???” Okay, I lowercased the capital C with which the quote begins, and supplied a “who” to make _my_ syntax work, since **dalovindj** wrote it as an indicative-mode question and I’m zeroing in on his subject while preserving the remainder of the sentence as a modifier indicating which particular crazy fools he is speaking of. Both these uses require me to bracket my emendations of his writing, to distinguish Polycarp’s additions from the pristine unrevised speech of **dalovindj**. On the other foot, he was tripped up by the their/there/they’re triad, and in quoting him I indicate that he wrote “their” in a context requiring “they’re” and I have transcribed his exact words by placing a [sic] after “their.” However, I tend to agree with the two posters I’ve quoted: It’s the height of arrogant pedantry to snidely insert a [sic] – the pseudo-adult equivalent of “Look at Johnny! You can see his underpants” is “Look, **dalovindj** made a grammar error! Ain’t I smarter than him for catching it?” :rolleyes: I merely did it here to distinguish between the bracketed correction and the [sic] usages, and in any other context would have merely rewritten it (in brackets when in a serious argument, to avoid the appearance of having misquoted). And I’m sure somebody will find an application of Gaudere’s Law in this post. ---
**Author:** ![Spiritus\_Mundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c68b51/32.png) [@Spiritus\_Mundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiritus_Mundi)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/14 "2001-12-03T20:49:01Z")
Only a cad would dare look. A real jerk, however, might point out **polycarp’s** liberal use of the run-on sentence and I would be remiss if I failed to include an ironical opportunity for the next **Gauderian** to pounce. ---
**Author:** ![thinksnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thinksnow/32/2849_2.png) [@thinksnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thinksnow)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/15 "2001-12-03T20:49:44Z")
I, personally, don’t care one way or the other, but when someone is specifically posting a nit-pick about grammar or spelling and they flub stuff in doing so (Gaudere’s Law,) I find much amusement. I should note that I make an effort to spell-check my posts prior to posting, but doubly-do so if I am writing about pedantic spelling issues (which I rarely do.) Had his post been one in the middle of some other thread or part of a greater rant on a different topic, I’d likely have not noticed, mentally making corrections on the fly. As it was, it, IMO, begged spell-checking and the response it received from **Why A Duck** and myself. ---
**Author:** ![Photog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c77e96/32.png) [@Photog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Photog)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/16 "2001-12-03T21:28:15Z")
> [@](#): > > As it was, it, IMO, begged spell-checking and the response it received from Why A Duck and myself. **FWIW:** I agree. I knew as I was writing it that I’d be sure to screw something up. I found both replies perfectly appropriate as well as extremely effective at making me laugh at myself. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/17 "2001-12-03T21:52:55Z")
> [@](#): > > It’s the height of arrogant pedantry to snidely insert a [sic] – the pseudo-adult equivalent of “Look at Johnny! You can see his underpants” is “Look, dalovindj made a grammar error! Ain’t I smarter than him for catching it?” Actually, the height of arrogant pedantry would be to assume the worst about someone that inserts a [sic]. Why do you think someone is trying to be snide? Maybe they’re just accustomed to using [sic]. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2001, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/18 "2001-12-03T21:59:33Z")
This thread is making me sic. [sub]Oh, c’mon, somebody had to say it[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/19 "2001-12-04T00:54:46Z")
This is exactly the sort of arrogant pendantry up with which I will not put! [sub]Yeah, so Churchill said it first. Bite me.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2001, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626/20 "2001-12-04T02:44:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by essvee \* > \*\*gotcha ya! [sic] \*\* I hope I’m not the only one who got this incredibly funny reference. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sic/96626.md?page=2)