# why criticise people for poor spelling/grammar **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 25, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907 "2005-10-25T23:29:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/101 "2005-10-30T01:47:25Z")
> [@This Year's Model](#): > > If people would correct me whenever I misspell irrellev… irreliven… ireliv… that word that means “beside the point”, I might someday learn to spell it. Well, at least you tried to get it right, and you got the first part right too–unlike Dan Quayle, whom I believe said “ **ill** relevant” at least once. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/102 "2005-10-30T06:58:44Z")
There are three kinds of posters: 1. Those that have perfect spelling and grammar, which are divided into two categories: those who don’t point out the errors of others and those who do.\* 2. Those that have less than perfect spelling and grammar themselves. They two divide into to categories: those who don’t point out the errors of others, and those who do. In both varieties, those who do, do so so that they can self identify as sarcastic self-mocking asses and the kind of asses who need to feel superior to others. - Nobody has perfect spelling and grammar on this message board. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/103 "2005-10-30T07:14:51Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > Well, at least you tried to get it right, and you got the first part right too–unlike Dan Quayle, whom I believe said “ **ill** relevant” at least once. 😃 […] **who** , I believe, said […] 😃 d&r ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/104 "2005-10-30T20:11:16Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > There are three kinds of posters: > > 1. Those that have perfect spelling and grammar, which are divided into two categories: those who don’t point out the errors of others and those who do.\* > > 2. Those that have less than perfect spelling and grammar themselves. They two divide into to categories: those who don’t point out the errors of others, and those who do. > > In both varieties, those who do, do so so that they can self identify as sarcastic self-mocking asses and the kind of asses who need to feel superior to others. > > - Nobody has perfect spelling and grammar on this message board. Wouldn’t that make either two of four kinds of posters (with or without the first category which doesn’t exist)? (Did you mean to get your “to/too/two’s” wrong for comedic effect?) ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/105 "2005-10-30T20:32:01Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Wouldn’t that make either two of four kinds of posters (with or without the first category which doesn’t exist)? > > (Did you mean to get your “to/too/two’s” wrong for comedic effect?) I think the whole subject is preposterous. Yes, the three, two and then four divisons are on purpose, but the mixing up to and two (I missed the too) was serendity, for which I will give my subconcious credit, but punish my conscious. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@Bob\_Loblaw\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Loblaw_1)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/106 "2005-10-30T20:36:30Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > I think the whole subject is preposterous. Yes, the three, two and then four divisons are on purpose, but the mixing up to and two (I missed the too) was serendity, for which I will give my subconcious credit, but punish my conscious. ummm serendipity. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/107 "2005-10-30T21:04:43Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Wouldn’t that make either two **of** four kinds of posters (with or without the first category which doesn’t exist)?\ HAH! Gaudere is indeed a harsh mistress. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/108 "2005-10-30T21:06:36Z")
I’m thinking about starting a parallel thread in MPSIMS, to track the instances of Gaudere’s law in this one. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/109 "2005-10-30T21:35:46Z")
> [@Bob Loblaw](#): > > ummm serendipity. and also subconscious. ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2005, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907/110 "2005-10-30T22:30:11Z")
Yes, I _should_ know better. But this thread is really giving me a headache. I’d unsubscribe (from the thread) but then I couldn’t bear to miss everything. Yeah, I got issues. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-criticise-people-for-poor-spelling-grammar/327907.md?page=5)