spelling rant

[Bill McBlueState]

Why do people put "(sp?)" after a word they've typed when they're not sure how it's spelled? If you care enough to note that your spelling may be incorrect, why don't you care enough to go to your favorite dictionary site and check your spelling? It's not that hard.

:rant:

[shoelace414]

1. often

you put (sp) after something is misspelled, but you are transposing it from somewhere else, and putting (sp) means it was misspelled in the original.

[Bill McBlueState]

3. I thought that was (sic)

But I've never understood the origin of (sic). Must be Latin.

[cruadin]

6. "sic" means "thus" or "just so" in Latin.

[tjwmason]

4. At that point one shouLd type [sic] n.t.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Because (sp)they(sp) don't(sp) have(sp) a (sp)favorite(sp)

dictionary(sp) site(sp)?;)

[babylonsister]

5. Because they're in a hurry and don't want

their brilliant thought to slip away? Or laziness? Or, they think they've spelled a word correctly, but somehow it just doesn't look right? Sadly, I'm guilty of that occasionally...

[hyphenate]

7. Sometimes

getting off your post and going to either a real dictionary or a site is more difficult.

Sometimes I will do it if it's the name of someone or something that won't be in a dictionary. For example, how many different spellings are there for things like al-quaida, al-qaeda, el-quada, etc., or Moammar Khadafi? The translations for many of these foreign words are so varied that you never know if you're spelling it with an accepted form or not.

I will often put (sp?) in parens with the question mark for that reason. For the most part, I do try to check out most of my spelling, and have the Merriam-Webster dictionary toolbar on my IE. I know some people have problems with homonyms that often doesn't get corrected, though, even when you run something through a spell check.

[Shell Beau]

8. Because I am too lazy and if I do put (sp?) at least people know

that I am not sure how to spell and I am not just an idiot. I am careful with my spelling; it is a pet-peeve of mine when people misspell, but I am out of school. I try to be laid back about it. There are too many other things to dwell on. :)

[Phentex]

20. Laziness is my excuse also. I try to use spellcheck but if it's

out there or slang I might just use the ole' (sp) disclaimer.

[sam sarrha]

9. are you typically a control freak or just specificly (spl)

i am severely Dyslexic, and i really dont care about wasting a lot of time to prevent you from criticizing me for a disability, especially when i still get the point across.

I dont give a ratz azz what you think. i do use the spell check when it is available.

I find it absurd when i make a heart felt, insightful and pointed observation about something that i and others really care about.. and some self serving A-hole jumps in and indignantly goes O'Riely on me for transposing a couple letters.. and comments not on what i wrote.. when that happens i just block them, i couldnt do that all those years being abused, humuliated in front of the class and even physically asulted and shaken to meke me get it right, but i do it now.

why is it that you give a shit anyway?

[oneighty]

10. Good on you

Keep yer eyes on the donut and not on the hole.

081

[Bill McBlueState]

18. hey, misspelled words don't bother me

Nowhere in my post did I say that misspelled words bother me.

Just ranting (and not in a particularly heartfelt way) about a particular way of calling attention to misspellings.

[Rabrrrrrr]

11. I do it occasionally, because often the point I am making

isn't dependant on whether I spell that particular word correctly, and it isn't worth my time to go look it up for an internet board. I am especially guilty of doing this with celebrity names, because for the most part, I'm not so interested in the correct spelling so long as people know who I'm talking about. For an academic paper, yes, I will do that. Of course.

But not often for an internet chat.

About the only time I will look up to get the right spelling is if I'm using an obscure word, in which case misspelling it would be very embarrassing.

Otherwise, I don't think it matters. I'd rather have someone, who is writing to get a thought out, put the (sp?) there, than the johnny-come-lazilees who just spell shit however they feel like it.

[MemphisTiger]

12. I use it for proper names

the ones I can't look up in a dictionary.

[Heidi]

13. Isn't understanding and being understood

more important than perfection? I was a journalist for 20 years and über-b!tch about other folks' spelling . . . until I moved to another country and learned understanding and being understood are a heck of a lot more important than perfect spelling, when it comes down to survival. I care a lot more about precise grammar and spelling in business correspondence than on message boards.

[Zenlitened]

14. You should have prefaced this post by saying it was a rant...

... so people wouldn't feel compelled to jump down your throat simply for describing a pet peeve. Maybe add the 'rant' smiley, too.

Oh, wait... :eyes:

[jswordy]

15. Spelling rant? R-A-N-T: rant. n/t

[Zenlitened]

17. Can you use it in a sentence?

:D

[jswordy]

19. Sure!

I get sick of reading ultra-perfectionist rants about spelling from people on this blog.

[Zenlitened]

21. Sorry, your sentence did not include the word "it"

Please try to follow instructions more carefully in the future! :D

[Mutley]

16. laziness

typing (sp?) is much easier than actually going to another site!