# Where has all the spelling gone? Long time passing.... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 19, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614 "2005-05-19T18:46:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/21 "2005-05-19T22:03:17Z")
> [@Feydeau](#): > > I know it’s “only” a message board, but for the love of Og can you fucknuts _at least_ learn basic spelling and punctuation? > Does the fact that there is no specific “previous post” mean that Gaudere’s Law doesn’t apply? u dont like us u can phuc rite off. Sheesh, barge right in and and call us a bunch of fucknuts why don’t you. Oh…You did. That is kind of a fuck nut thing to do. The funny thing is just last week I asked if it was time for our regular spell nazi thread. Godwin Godwin I said Nazi…that means this thread is dead right? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/22 "2005-05-19T22:09:15Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 😃 Smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/23 "2005-05-19T22:09:47Z")
fcuk U; gote-fellcher!!!111!!! ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/24 "2005-05-19T22:14:59Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > **Where has all the spelling gone? Long time passing…** > > You used one too many periods in your ellipses. Supposedly they also should have a space between each period, so I’ve been screwing that one up. 🙂 No, you can follow an elipsis with a period. I’ve seen it in honest-to-God style guides used by publications. That makes four in a row - in this case, it suggests a sentence that ends, but trails off first. And while my English teachers taught me to put space around each period in an elipsis, that’s not universal - custom varies between publications and probably between the UK and the US. I’m just sayin’, is all . . . ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/25 "2005-05-19T22:19:28Z")
Now that I did not know. And it’s used in my style guide, too. I learn something new everyday here. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/26 "2005-05-19T22:35:55Z")
Just curious. In the sentence “Where has all the spelling gone?” does this wording seem to suggest the existence of some non existing noun. I mean I can understand saying “The spelling in your post is horrible” where “in you post” pertains to “the spelling”. What if I said “Where is the spelling?” It seems that the word usage in the OP is incorrect or at least clumsy. Any grammarians out there? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/27 "2005-05-19T22:38:17Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > It seems that the word usage in the OP is incorrect or at least clumsy. Poetic license. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/28 "2005-05-19T22:40:35Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > Poetic license. If he gets it for grammer can’t we have it for spelling? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/29 "2005-05-19T22:42:24Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > If he gets it for grammer can’t we have it for spelling? If you can adroitly work it into a cultural reference, sure. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/30 "2005-05-19T23:00:41Z")
> [@The Sausage Creature](#): > > **Where has all the spelling gone? Long time passing…** > > You used one too many periods in your ellipses. Had he used more than one ellips **i** s and replicated the error, he might have one too many period in his ellips **e** s. Anyhoo, I make typographical errors all the time, as well as a number of odd grammatical mistakes that usually come of incomplete editing. For example, in a political post, I might write: > [@](#): > > …but even if the Conservative party wins the vote of confidence, it won’t mean they have the confidence of the citizens… …but later decide to rephrase it as: > [@](#): > > …the Conservatives might win one confidence vote and lose another, at the next election… …except my edit is hastily and clumsily done, with some of the original undeleted, ending up with: > [@](#): > > …the Conservatives might wins the vote of confidence vote and lose another, at the next election… I often forget to proof-read. My advice to the OP is to chill and deal. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/31 "2005-05-19T23:08:53Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > Had he used more than one ellips **i** s and replicated the error, he might have one too many period in his ellips **e** s. :smack: I plead Gaudere’s Law! And I shoulda known better, too ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/32 "2005-05-19T23:10:01Z")
Ahem… Bad spellers of the world, untie! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/33 "2005-05-19T23:13:45Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > Ahem… > Bad spellers of the world, untie! And penis ensues. . . ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/34 "2005-05-20T00:05:09Z")
This is about me, isn’t it? I know I’ve dragged down the average but I’m _trying_, dadgummit! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/35 "2005-05-20T00:11:36Z")
> [@askeptic](#): > > Just curious. In the sentence “Where has all the spelling gone?” does this wording seem to suggest the existence of some non existing noun. I mean I can understand saying “The spelling in your post is horrible” where “in you post” pertains to “the spelling”. What if I said “Where is the spelling?” It seems that the word usage in the OP is incorrect or at least clumsy. Any grammarians out there? _shrug_ I have no problem with the grammar in the OP. It sounds perfectly sound to me. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/36 "2005-05-20T00:47:38Z")
Seriously, ewe awl knead too reed [this.](http://www.intrepidmedia.com/column.asp?id=2176) (Worksafe - it’s an ezine. Article written by a friend of mine. Registration not required unless you want to join in on the discussion, in which case the registration is free.) ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/37 "2005-05-20T00:48:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > _shrug_ > > I have no problem with the grammar in the OP. It sounds perfectly sound to me. Does it sound sound or does it look sound? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/38 "2005-05-20T01:03:45Z")
> [@](#): > > But seriously, do you know how fucking distracting it is to be reading a great reply and all of a sudden be hit over the head with a glaring error? I initially thought that this was a thinly veiled attack on \*\*\*\*\*, but when I saw the reference to “great reply” I realized that it was more of a generic complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/39 "2005-05-20T01:07:00Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > I initially thought that this was a thinly veiled attack on \*\*\*\*\*, but when I saw the reference to “great reply” I realized that it was more of a generic complaint. So you’re saying it’s NOT about me? Whew! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614/40 "2005-05-20T01:23:23Z")
I am hopeless at grammar, my spelling isnt too bad though. I wouldnt mind if people wanted to correct me, especially on this message board where most of you come across of nice, polite educated poeple. But when you start threads like this, and make snarky comments after mistakes have been made, it really pisses me off and the end result is that I have no desire to fix my mistakes. If some of you were just a bit nicer about it, this problem may not be half a bad as it is. I know Ive probably made a spelling mistake because I said my spelling is ok. Its bound to happen. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-has-all-the-spelling-gone-long-time-passing/304614.md?page=3)