# You spelled a word wrong! Allow me to point that out to all. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 30, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503 "2003-05-30T12:49:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/21 "2003-05-30T15:06:08Z")
Course. I’m not saying one should go around and correct every error one sees. But I \, nicely, and sweetly, correct someone if they repeatedly mispell a word. I consider it a positive thing, not a negative, and haven’t had much problem with people’s responses. If I actually notice someone repeatedly mispelling something, it’s a rather awful mispelling. Most I pay no attention to, as there is no point, and chances are, the person does know the correct way, and just wasn’t paying attention. Like I said, in this instance, it was done rudely and was unnecessary. And on message boards such as this one, a post correcting someone is a bit silly. However. If a person makes a mistake, they don’t know it’s a mistake until someone tells them it is, and how to correct it. Hence spelling and grammar corrections. Let me re-iterate: He was rude. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/22 "2003-05-30T15:16:43Z")
I understand your point… > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by if you don’t know i won’t tell \*Grammar corrections and spelling corrections are fine, as far as I’m **concered**. But doing it rudely, as in this instance, was unacceptable. I hope he realizes there are nicer ways to correct someone. After all, he may have meant it in a friendly way, and just come off a bit short. and > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by if you don’t know i won’t tell \*Course. I’m not saying one should go around and correct every error one sees. But I \, nicely, and sweetly, correct someone if they repeatedly **mispell** a word. I consider it a positive thing, not a negative, and haven’t had much problem with people’s responses. If I actually notice someone repeatedly **mispelling** something, it’s a rather awful **mispelling**. Most I pay no attention to, as there is no point, and chances are, the person does know the correct way, and just wasn’t paying attention. Like I said, in this instance, it was done rudely and was unnecessary. And on message boards such as this one, a post correcting someone is a bit silly. However. If a person makes a mistake, they don’t know it’s a mistake until someone tells them it is, and how to correct it. Hence spelling and grammar corrections. > > Let me re-iterate: He was rude. …but that could get irritating and distracting if when someone is trying to converse with others and really ads nothing to the conversation. Spelling mistakes I make are usually caused by me thinking faster than I can type and the letters get muddled. It’s not because I don’t know how to spell, so pointing it out isn’t going to teach me anything…only annoy me. And I agree, he was very ‘high and might’ and rude. ---
**Author:** ![Kwyjibo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kwyjibo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kwyjibo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/23 "2003-05-30T15:19:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kwyjibo \*…but that could get irritating and distracting if when someone is trying to converse with others and really **ads** nothing to the conversation… See? Fingers not keeping up with my brain…believe me…it’s annoying enough when I catch it myself…having it pointed out make it worse…IMNSHO ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/24 "2003-05-30T15:27:37Z")
I’m an Apostrophe Nazi[sup]®[/sup], and even _I_ think **Buck’s** post was risible. ---
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/25 "2003-05-30T15:34:49Z")
I agree. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/26 "2003-05-30T16:40:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Poor Bob. Was it a peaceful exit or did he suffer? Hmph. I’m still here. Lousy ingrates. ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/27 "2003-05-30T16:59:03Z")
Didn’t some TV character say ridiculous more like reedeculouss? I just did a Google on “Reediculous” and got 31 hits. “Rediculous” got 59,000! After a quick survey, and a WAG, about 58,000 of those are unintentional misspellings. Anyway, does anyone remember the TV character that always said ridiculous with the funny accent? Now it’s killing me. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/28 "2003-05-30T17:12:39Z")
It was the cousin from _Perfect Strangers_–I think his name was Balki. And I’m really sorry I know this! ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/29 "2003-05-30T17:29:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kwyjibo \* > \*\*I understand your point… > > and > …but that could get irritating and distracting if when someone is trying to converse with others and really ads nothing to the conversation. Spelling mistakes I make are usually caused by me thinking faster than I can type and the letters get muddled. It’s not because I don’t know how to spell, so pointing it out isn’t going to teach me anything…only annoy me. > > And I agree, he was very ‘high and might’ and rude. \*\* …but you don’t appear to be the type that consistantly spells simple words wrong, or constantly makes the same grammatical errors over and over. And that’s not the type of person she/he meant (I think), when she/he said that it’s helpful if you politely point out consistant errors. Those kinds of errors aren’t just “typing too fast,” and as distracting as it is to YOU to have someone step in and say perhaps “um sorry but iyou’RE is a contraction of you and are, not YOUR which is a possessive,” seeing such errors over and over again are like biting on tinfoil for some of us. With someone who is obviously ignorant and doesn’t care, it’s just another sign of their ignorance. But, imho, it’s most “cringeworthy” when it’s someone who is obviously intelligent, but yet sprinkles their posts with “irregardless” or “loose for lose” or something and doesn’t seem to know it’s wrong. Well, for instance, look at all the math/physical science posts where the geek/nerds rant on and on about “this is so simple, it makes me just cringe that people don’t get this” etc. It’s much the same for those of us that enjoy properly written english (American I guess should say). I for one appreciate it if someone say “hey, that word is really pronounced this way” or “that word is spelled like this for its plural”. I went around for years spelling Misspelling with one S, because I’d read it in a copy of “Secretaries Handbook” as that being the correct spelling (talk about irony, hehe). I wish someone would have told me LONG before I found out, and long after I’d been using the misspelled version. (ps, I have a new, very touchy keyboard, so if I have more misSpellings than usual, that’s why :D) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/30 "2003-05-30T17:53:03Z")
I’m guilty I’m afraid…Not exactly the same thing, but close. Someone used “e.g.” incorrectly. I tried to ignore, I swear, but it is one of my big peeves and I broke down and corrected him. But I hope I wasn’t overly rude about it. ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/31 "2003-05-30T18:32:26Z")
Sure, lets just go back to [the good old days](http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1601-1650/massachusetts/mchart.htm). ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/32 "2003-05-30T18:57:11Z")
The question is what a person’s trying to accomplish - is it really about “fighting ignorance” or are you just scoring points to make yourself look clever? Sometimes there’s no choice but to address poor writing b/c the meaning is unclear - that happens often - but being petty just to elevate oneself makes the poster look bad, and not clever. I can commiserate w/the grammar police, too - poor grammar and misspellings used to be one of my pet peeves (I used to fix the graffiti in the girls’ bathroom). But I’ve chilled a bit as I’ve gotten older, in part because over the years I’ve run into soooo many successful professionals whose writing skills are subpar. Librarians, engineers, meteorologists, marketers - it’s rampant. Someone who wrote to disagree w/me on a thread I’d started and about which I felt passionately posted w/tons of errors, although the logic & message were still quite clear. I started to belittle his writing in my response, then thought better of it & just let it pass. So that when it came out in a later posting that he’s from Sweden, I could just be impressed at his ability to argue in a second language (not sure I could order a cup of coffee in Sweden myself). Rather than insulting him, I gained an understanding of his views & he of mine because we continued our dialogue - if I’d ripped his writing, that wouldn’t have happened. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/33 "2003-05-30T19:18:12Z")
I usually only correct a misspelling if it appears to have prevented the poster from doing a proper Google search. Two birds with one stone! ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/34 "2003-05-30T19:28:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by UncleBeer \* > \*\*Hmph. I’m still here. Lousy ingrates. \*\* I thought you were called “Boib.” ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/35 "2003-05-30T19:30:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*I’m an Apostrophe Nazi[sup]®[/sup] \*\* No, you are _the_ Apostrophe Nazi. Can I be a jackbooted henchwoman? I nitpicked some grammatical errors in a post by a white supremacist once. Somebody brought out the rolling-eyes smiles and scolded me. I was really surprised that I got negative feedback for being pissy with a white supremacist. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/36 "2003-05-30T19:37:34Z")
As another high-ranking official in the Grammar Nazi Party, I still have to agree with the OP. I enjoy the BBQ Pit threads of the type: “I hate it when people do [insert common grammar or spelling error]”, and I have started a few threads myself; but nitpicking people’s posts over minor spelling errors is another matter. It’s rude because you have singled out a _particular person_ for ridicule. Ahem - **Early Out** cough, cough… [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=186690](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=186690) > [@](#): > > Absolutely correct (though it’s “nicotine,” not “nicotene!”). Certainly not as rude as the OPs example, but still - was it really necessary? Was there any confusion as to what I meant? And then there’s that exclamation point, as if to say “Gosh, that blowero sure is a dummy - look how he spelled it”.:rolleyes: It really ruins the tone of what was otherwise a very gracious post. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/37 "2003-05-30T19:37:40Z")
Seething hate-filled bigots need love too! ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/38 "2003-05-30T19:40:20Z")
dammit, that was supposed to go under **sugaree** ’s post… [sub]grumble, grumble[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Monalisa9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@Monalisa9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monalisa9)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/39 "2003-05-30T19:49:20Z")
I hate to be a pain, but… The word “wrong” in the OP should not have been used. As “spell” is a verb, it must be defined by an adverb, so “wrong” , which is an adjective, should have been “incorrectly”, an adverb. Just as you would say "He moved quickly " rather than “He moved quick”. A lot of things that used to be unacceptable are now just absorbed and have become ok, but I don’t think this is one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503/40 "2003-05-30T19:54:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StupidSmartAgain \* > Paging Zenster, Paging Zenster… > > Hopefully Zenster will pull his head out of his ass for a second and read this thread. > Here’s hoping. Tell you what, **StupidSmartAgain**. Show even just one time where I have ever pulled such an egregious and unwarranted stunt like **Buck** ’s little shenanigan in the OP and I’ll cheerfully post an open apology. If you are unable to do so, I’d like to see you have the _ostiones_ to come in here and apologize to me. If you are unable to do either, you are a monster raving pencil-necked fuckwit of the N[sup]th[/sup] water. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-spelled-a-word-wrong-allow-me-to-point-that-out-to-all/178503.md?page=3)