# Typos that completely change the intended meaning **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476 "2009-09-01T13:28:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/21 "2009-09-01T19:17:21Z")
From many years ago: [ > [@Cubsfan](#): > > I was thinking about taking those turkeys out to my buddies farm and shooting them up with a shitgun or his rifle ]([http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=3158722&post3158722](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=3158722&post3158722)) ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/22 "2009-09-01T19:19:33Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > When I was in school, a couple of friends put on a recital. It was all percussion instruments. They titled the recital “Partners in Time.” When the office typed up their programme, they corrected it to “Partners in Crime.” The church bulletin once mention the upcoming ‘flute rectal’ by a member of the congregation. ---
**Author:** ![Ultraviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c77e96/32.png) [@Ultraviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ultraviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/23 "2009-09-01T19:41:28Z")
I once worked at an elementary school with a new teacher who had an unruly seventh grade class. When he sent out a memo to parents about the upcoming trip to the “pubic library”, he lost all control of his class for the rest of the year. Poor guy! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/24 "2009-09-01T20:26:38Z")
> [@Ultraviolet](#): > > I once worked at an elementary school with a new teacher who had an unruly seventh grade class. When he sent out a memo to parents about the upcoming trip to the “pubic library”, he lost all control of his class for the rest of the year. Poor guy! Having gone to Public Policy school adds a whole nother level of stress to resume-writing and proofreading. ---
**Author:** ![De\_La\_Rue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@De\_La\_Rue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/De_La_Rue)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/25 "2009-09-01T20:30:27Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Back when I was an undergrad, a typo in the official (not student) MIT paper _Tech Talk_ listed a lecture on **The Theological Behavior of Fluids**. It was pretty obviously supposed to be _Rheological_, but the typo made it seem as if it might be about the Blood of St. Januarius or something. Maybe the parting of the Red Sea? (runs the hell out of the thread) ---
**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:** [September 1, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/26 "2009-09-01T20:32:56Z")
On another forum, I recall someone started a thread about timekeeping standards in a spacefaring civilization ( since different planets have different rotational periods and all ). Unfortunately his typo in the thread title diverted things for a while; " **What’s a Good Space Cock?**" ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/27 "2009-09-01T20:46:36Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > Almost forgot: In the 1990s, there was an XXX theater in the Bronx that was playing a movie that was probably called “Fast Cars, Fast Women”. > > However, the marquee said: **FAST CARS, FATS WOMEN** I don’t know, with porn you can never be sure. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/28 "2009-09-01T21:29:10Z")
Last year when there was the big salmonella-in-the-peanut-butter scare, I was trying to find some info on which products had been recalled and found a typo in a recall notice on the web pages of one of the major commercial peanut butter suppliers. The notice said something to the effect that they did not sell peanut butter that was available to the consumer, but that their peanut butter might be found in other possibly tainted items in people’s pantries. Except they left the “r” out of pantries. ---
**Author:** ![TheMadHun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/29 "2009-09-01T22:02:02Z")
All of my typos on this forum end up reversing my meaning. I think they have a filter to remove the word “not”. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/30 "2009-09-01T22:40:26Z")
> [@Ultraviolet](#): > > I once worked at an elementary school with a new teacher who had an unruly seventh grade class. When he sent out a memo to parents about the upcoming trip to the “pubic library”, he lost all control of his class for the rest of the year. Poor guy! I mentioned this before, but I used to be a notary public. And yes, that unfortunate typo did appear once in the training manual. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/31 "2009-09-01T22:41:34Z")
While googling the name George W. Bush, I noticed the google listing for **[georgewbush.org/](http://georgewbush.org/)** which starts “Welcome to the future home of the _ **officious** _ George W. Bush Presidential Library” Guess that’s where they’ll put all the really obnoxious and intrusive librarians, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Noelq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noelq/32/16438_2.png) [@Noelq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noelq)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/32 "2009-09-01T23:02:38Z")
We have set up our Word installations at our Archictectural to customize the dictionary by removing the words “Pubic” and “Bride” There’s nothing like reading a proposal or specifications that call out the wiring for all pubic areas, or the maximum load capacity on a bride. (pubic = public, bride = bridge). ---
**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:** [September 1, 2009, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/33 "2009-09-01T23:12:45Z")
> [@Noelq](#): > > We have set up our Word installations at our Archictectural to customize the dictionary by removing the words “Pubic” and “Bride” > > There’s nothing like reading a proposal or specifications that call out the wiring for all pubic areas, or the maximum load capacity on a bride. (pubic = public, bride = bridge). Just avoid designing anything that involves weddings : “That’s weird, I didn’t know the Catholics put bridges in front of their altars.” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/34 "2009-09-01T23:16:53Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > I once read a report of a football match in which a striker tried a shit from from 35 yards. Well, don’t keep us in suspense. _Did he make it?_ ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/35 "2009-09-01T23:47:27Z")
Two that I’ve seen personally: 1. In 1990 the local newspaper issued a correction. They had written that a local church was having a lecture and discussion entitled “Newness in the nighties.” The apology stated that it was meant to read “Newness in the nineties.” Shame really, I think the former would attract a better crowd to the church than the latter. 2. I was working in a Pathology lab and one of the lab technicians was writing up a routine full blood count report. She meant to type that the patient had a “high red count” but unfortunately left out the “o” in count. Fortunately it was caught before being sent out. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/36 "2009-09-02T00:22:50Z")
People forget direct address commas all the time, resulting in things like: “Please see that you do Sally.” Helpful hint: Direct address commas are **always** required. No exceptions. It’s becoming appallingly common online to leave them out, but that just leaves the writer looking ignorant or lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/37 "2009-09-02T01:32:36Z")
Our church bulletin noted the birth of our two boys as “the twin sins of Mr. and Mrs. Kunilou.” ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/38 "2009-09-02T01:51:41Z")
> [@Noelq](#): > > We have set up our Word installations at our Archictectural to customize the dictionary by removing the words “Pubic” and “Bride” > > There’s nothing like reading a proposal or specifications that call out the wiring for all pubic areas, or the maximum load capacity on a bride. (pubic = public, bride = bridge). At my work computer I decided to just kill Word’s autocorrect feature, and am on a crusade to get the rest of the staff to do so as well. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/39 "2009-09-02T02:43:03Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Well, don’t keep us in suspense. _Did he make it?_ No. He failed to control his shit, which flew wide of the post and struck a supporter sitting in row G. This incident famously spawned the expression, ‘when the shit hits the fan’. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476/40 "2009-09-02T03:00:32Z")
Well played, sir. Well played. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typos-that-completely-change-the-intended-meaning/508476.md?page=3)