# When TV gets it very wrong: spelling **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 18, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675 "2013-12-18T20:47:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/41 "2014-03-04T11:15:00Z")
I used to and occasionally still do create subtitles for TV, so I am forgiving of real-time errors because the software makes them inevitable. However, given the number of times I was pulled up for a single typo or miscolouration (never a spelling error) in my submissions - I dare you to type several thousand words daily and never make even one typo a week - it does irk me to see people somehow getting them through on a much grander scale. Who are they working for, anyway? The ones with the most errors never have a company logo on the subtitles so are presumably in-house. Grr. Also, its/it’s. NOBODY paid to write seems to get it right these days. > [@etv78](#): > > . > > UMM, that’s a perfectly valid way to phrase it. :eyebrow: No, it’s not. In this context, after “given up” you need a noun phrase. You usually make a verb into a noun phrase by turning it into a gerund, which means adding “ing.” “Hope to lose [whatever]” is not a noun phrase. “Hope of losing [whatever]” is. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/42 "2014-03-04T13:17:52Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I saw an ad for either catheters or adult diapers by mail order. The ad said the contents would come _discretely_ packaged. You’ve got to stop watching The Military Channel. This wasn’t exactly a typo, but one of my coworkers once brought in a newspaper ad for Fun Gals infant clothing. Especially good if the little tyke is named “Candida”. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/43 "2014-03-04T13:35:34Z")
I’ve seen several variations on this: “… Grizzly Attack on Commuter Train…” "… the grizzly scene made even seasoned detectives shudder… ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/44 "2014-03-04T15:45:00Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > And don’t get me started on SEE-zur. Who the fuck was SEE-zur? Nobody in Classical Rome went by that name, certainly not Gaius Julius Caesar. I’m just speculating here, but I’d guess they weren’t actually speaking Latin. [English](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Caesar) is a [different](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caesar) [matter](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caesar). ---
**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:** [March 4, 2014, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/45 "2014-03-04T15:59:09Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > I’m just speculating here, but I’d guess they weren’t actually speaking Latin. > > [English](http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/Caesar) is a [different](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caesar) [matter](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/caesar). It regularly entertains me the number of people who get their panties in a bunch over pronunciations of _caesar_ and _veni, vidi, vici_ but don’t mind talking about _Rome_ and _Italy_. If you’re devoted to original pronunciations, shouldn’t it be _Roma_ and _Italia_? ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/46 "2014-03-04T16:01:25Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > No, it’s not. In this context, after “given up” you need a noun phrase. You usually make a verb into a noun phrase by turning it into a gerund, which means adding “ing.” “Hope to lose [whatever]” is not a noun phrase. “Hope of losing [whatever]” is. If “given up” requires a noun phrase and people are following it with “hope to lose [whatever]” then ipso facto “hope to lose [whatever]” is either a noun phrase despite not using the gerund construction or “given up” does not actually require a noun phrase. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/47 "2014-03-04T16:02:02Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > I’ve seen several variations on this: > > “… Grizzly Attack on Commuter Train…” > > "… the grizzly scene made even seasoned detectives shudder… Them bears is everywhere. Just grin and bare it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/48 "2014-03-04T16:23:24Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > If “given up” requires a noun phrase and people are following it with “hope to lose [whatever]” then ipso facto “hope to lose [whatever]” is either a noun phrase despite not using the gerund construction or “given up” does not actually require a noun phrase. If enough people are doing it regularly enough that the usage changes, sure. But in current usage, given up requires a noun phrase after it and that is not a noun phrase. Anything in language can change over time, and in the meantime there are things that people take for mistakes; meanwhile there are also simple mistakes. It looks like this is a simple mistake rather than anything signifying language change. Descriptive grammar does admit that grammar exists. We need it for meaning. Otherwise men assign snag wish snug vegging bah. Or whatever else my predictive text wants to suggest as random words to put in a line. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/49 "2014-03-04T16:56:37Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Descriptive grammar does admit that grammar exists. We need it for meaning. Otherwise men assign snag wish snug vegging bah. Or whatever else my predictive text wants to suggest as random words to put in a line. And if a narrator said “snag wish snug vegging bah” what would the reaction of the general public be and how would that compare to their reaction or lack thereof to “given up the hope to lose [whatever]”? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/50 "2014-03-04T17:18:47Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > This wasn’t exactly a typo, but one of my coworkers once brought in a newspaper ad for Fun Gals infant clothing. Especially good if the little tyke is named “Candida”. [Nothing wrong with that.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=17156040#post17156040) 🙂 ---
**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:** [March 4, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/51 "2014-03-04T18:02:00Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > If enough people are doing it regularly enough that the usage changes, sure. But in current usage, given up requires a noun phrase after it and that is not a noun phrase. > > Anything in language can change over time, and in the meantime there are things that people take for mistakes; meanwhile there are also simple mistakes. It looks like this is a simple mistake rather than anything signifying language change. > > Descriptive grammar does admit that grammar exists. We need it for meaning. Otherwise men assign snag wish snug vegging bah. Or whatever else my predictive text wants to suggest as random words to put in a line. If multiple people, including the writers and editors of that magazine, don’t see a problem with it, that’s pretty good evidence that the usage has indeed changed. Apparently, despite your proclamations otherwise, there is a regular practice to use that particular construction. Why else would it be so common as to evoke the ire of the poster in question? And, yes, I did that on purpose, to see if it sounded wrong to my ears. It doesn’t. I’ve too often heard infinitives used as noun phrases for it to register as a mistake. ---
**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:** [March 4, 2014, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/52 "2014-03-04T18:31:39Z")
Grammar cops on infinitive nouns: > **[Daily Grammar - Lesson 220 - Parts of the Sentence - Verbals - Noun Infinitives](https://www.dailygrammar.com/Lesson-220-Noun-Infinitives.htm)** > > An infinitive is a verbal that is to plus a verb form. It can be used as a noun. Noun infinitives may be compound. The noun infinitive can be a subject, a direct object, a predicate nominative, an appositive, or an object of a preposition. Noun... > **[Infinitive Phrase: Explanation and Examples](http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/infinitive_phrase.htm)** > > An infinitive phrase is the infinitive form of a verb plus any complements and modifiers. In 'to eat a cake quickly,' 'a cake' is a complement and 'quickly' is a modifier. Infinitive phrases function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in sentences. [http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm](http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/gerunds.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/53 "2014-03-04T19:22:28Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > “Many people have given up the hope to lose weight” I don’t have an opinion on the validity of this grammar, but it sounds _bad_ to me, if not _wrong_. If using the whole thing as a noun I would always say “hope of losing” rather than “hope to lose”. I think we could probably mostly agree it’s not ideal. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/54 "2014-03-07T06:06:57Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Hey, [you never know when it might happen to you…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Molasses_Disaster) One lucky thing is that it happened on a Wednesday, so many people hurried home faster than usual (in the Italian North End, Wednesday is Prince Spaghetti Day). ---
**Author:** ![IfItComesUp6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecccb3/32.png) [@IfItComesUp6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IfItComesUp6)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/55 "2014-03-07T06:56:09Z")
A Quiz show in Aus (Hot Seat) stated that the word “Vociferous” meant “Glamorous”. I was so stumped as to how they came to that conclusion I reached for the old Oxford. It gave the definition “Clamorous”. So apparently the work experience kid could not differentiate between G and C and not a single person associated with the program (A F\*\*\*ING QUIZ SHOW) noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2014, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675/56 "2014-03-07T11:03:36Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > It regularly entertains me the number of people who get their panties in a bunch over pronunciations of _caesar_ and _veni, vidi, vici_ but don’t mind talking about _Rome_ and _Italy_. If you’re devoted to original pronunciations, shouldn’t it be _Roma_ and _Italia_? A true Roman would also spell the name as GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-tv-gets-it-very-wrong-spelling/676675.md?page=2)