# You shouldn't be starting posts on these topics if you can't spell them correctly! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296 "2010-03-22T02:45:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/1 "2010-03-22T02:45:58Z")
The person starting the thread should be able to spell the topic correctly, n’est-ce pas? It’s: **Masturbation**. _Not_ masterbation. **Atheism**. _Not_ athiesm. **Israel**. _Not_ Isreal. **Prostate gland**. _Not_ prostrate gland. Anyone else have their own favorites? ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/2 "2010-03-22T02:51:25Z")
Doesn’t each Doper have there own personal faves? (yes, I know…) ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/3 "2010-03-22T02:52:20Z")
Whoa. You’re really giving free rein to your quirks here. You’d be a shoo-in for, um, something. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/4 "2010-03-22T02:56:21Z")
Fluoridation. I will not take anything you have to say on the subject seriously if you can’t even spell it. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/5 "2010-03-22T02:58:42Z")
**Qadgop** , I’d agree with you except that you violated Gaudere’s Law in your OP. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/6 "2010-03-22T02:59:56Z")
I always mix up the i-e order. Even with that stupid rhyme, I still don’t “get” it until I’ve written it down and made a visual assessment. So I have sympathy for [del]freinds[/del] friends who can’t get it right either. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/7 "2010-03-22T03:12:36Z")
In a similar vein: Lately I’ve noticed more and more subject lines as questions without question mark (e.g. “Is healthcare a right”) or even with a period (e.g. “Is healthcare a right.”). It’s starting to get on my nerves. Is it in actuality a convention that not everyone is familiar with (like debate titles beginning with “Resolved:”)? I see it so much that I can’t rule it out. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/8 "2010-03-22T04:29:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The person starting the thread should be able to spell the topic correctly, n’est-ce pas? > > It’s: > > **Masturbation**. _Not_ masterbation. > > **Atheism**. _Not_ athiesm. > > **Israel**. _Not_ Isreal. > > **Prostate gland**. _Not_ prostrate gland. > > Anyone else have their own favorites? Boy… got your terrible xmex-like snout in a twist don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/9 "2010-03-22T05:30:03Z")
And you shouldn’t be making commercials for your company if you can’t pronounce what you sell . . . like “joolurree.” ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/10 "2010-03-22T11:54:34Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > In a similar vein: Lately I’ve noticed more and more subject lines as questions without question mark (e.g. “Is healthcare a right”) or even with a period (e.g. “Is healthcare a right.”). It’s starting to get on my nerves. > > Is it in actuality a convention that not everyone is familiar with (like debate titles beginning with “Resolved:”)? I see it so much that I can’t rule it out. I can kinda tolerate the no ? at the end, but it really bugs me to see a question with a period at the end. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/11 "2010-03-22T12:21:54Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > **Qadgop** , I’d agree with you except that you violated Gaudere’s Law in your OP. Where? Have pity on me–it’s Monday morning. I cannot stand people who mix up “loose” and “lose”. They’re not even pronounced the same! I pretty much can’t stand any misspellings in titles, or anywhere, but I am tolerant of obvious typos (like teh etc) that others here are rabid about. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/12 "2010-03-22T12:53:03Z")
Also: It’s **leukoencephalopathy** , _not_ leukoencefalopathy! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/13 "2010-03-22T12:57:12Z")
Brakes. Your car has brakes. If you break them, then they are broke, but they are still brakes. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/14 "2010-03-22T13:04:18Z")
Wierd just looks weird. One should be congratulated on not substituting a d. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/15 "2010-03-22T13:12:29Z")
It’s **alcohol** , _not_ alchohol or alcholhol. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/16 "2010-03-22T13:24:34Z")
I had an employee book off sick for a “Tubulization”! Don’t forget the infamous “nucular”😃 ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/17 "2010-03-22T13:41:34Z")
Sorry, I can’t guarantee I wont make any of these mistakes. It’s likely the same reason I’ll never put dishes away in the same place. I’ve a PhD in chemistry and I still make the alchohol/alcohol mistake. Same with neccessary/necessary. Without spell-check, I go back and forth between spellings and just kind of eeny-meeny-miney-moe to pick the right one. If I have to go to the dictionary for every word I don’t spell right, I’ll never get anything written. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/18 "2010-03-22T13:54:07Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > it really bugs me to see a question with a period at the end. Ugh. For some reason, a majority of people seem to think that sentences starting with “I wonder how” or “I think if” are questions. I wonder why? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/19 "2010-03-22T13:59:45Z")
Do NOT talk about health care reform if you don’t know how to spell “dying”. DYING. NOT **DIEING.** Jesus Christ, have you never read a book before? ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296/20 "2010-03-22T14:09:09Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Where? Have pity on me–it’s Monday morning. > [@](#): > > Anyone else have their own favorites? Should be: Anyone else have his or her own favorites? Or just “favorites.” Although I thought the “law” applied to making mistakes regarding the very thing you’re griping about; this is a grammar error in a spelling rant. — Ellen, proudly pedantic (and alluringly alliterative) 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-shouldnt-be-starting-posts-on-these-topics-if-you-cant-spell-them-correctly/533296.md?page=2)