# Why do people think they sound smart when they misspell "liberal" as "librul"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034 "2011-11-15T18:20:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/61 "2011-11-16T20:51:23Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > I always wonder if the people doing this realize that “Faux” does not rhyme with “Fox.” I can’t decide if it makes them stupider if they do or if they don’t. Of course they know. It’s “Faux” as in the French work for ‘Fake’. It is a comment on Fox News’ lack of journalistic standards. It is not meant to sound like Fox. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/62 "2011-11-16T20:58:03Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Whatever the motives behind using that term, it is not **RE** naming them. They called themselves that first. That’s part of the humor in it Ooooohhhhh. Well, then. Hold the phone, that changes everything. I now suddenly realize that people who say “teabagger” are actually _not_ doing it to insult the Tea Party, but actually are just striving for historical accuracy. Thanks for clearing that up for us. > [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > To be fair, they may be referencing the Simpsons episode where Homer screams out, “Save me, Jeebus!” I thought the line was “I don’t even believe in Jeebus.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/63 "2011-11-16T21:05:45Z")
He says both. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/64 "2011-11-16T22:27:11Z")
> [@Chessic\_Sense](#): > > Ooooohhhhh. Well, then. Hold the phone, that changes everything. I now suddenly realize that people who say “teabagger” are actually _not_ doing it to insult the Tea Party, but actually are just striving for historical accuracy. Thanks for clearing that up for us. Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. I am not nitpicking who came up with the term first. When I said “Whatever the motives behind using that term,” I meant to write “I mean to dispute the motives behind using that term.” Thank you for your clairvoyance regarding my incorrect word choice. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/65 "2011-11-17T02:30:18Z")
The latest one I have heard is **Republican’t**. Which is actually kind of clever, given the current state of affairs in DC. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/66 "2011-11-18T02:05:17Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > You mean you haven’t noticed how it’s explained on a clockwork basis on these boards? > > From Wikipedia: I just don’t get the controversy. So they’re called Democrats instead of Democratics. So what? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034/67 "2011-11-18T02:56:44Z")
Because the name of the party is the “Democratic Party”, not the “Democrat Party”. “Democrat” refers to a person from the party, not the name of the party. No one’s saying it’s the worse thing ever in the world, just that it’s an intentional (and immature) attempt at an insult. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-people-think-they-sound-smart-when-they-misspell-liberal-as-librul/603034.md?page=3)