Won thing a bout otto-correct . . .

Tags

autocorrect, Typos, writers, writing

Won grate thing I really enjoy about otto-correct and spell-cheque is that ewe don’t need two worry a bout making typos. Otto-correct bales you out of a whole! I can’t bare too make mistakes. Like my righting piers, I have a flare for righting, which is awl dew two my patients at the keyboard and a hole lot of hard work. Otto-correct makes you’re job as a righter is much easier.

But I use lots of fowl language when I type fore ate hours and then my computer crashes when I take a brake two bye a peace of pi. It is undo punishment! When that happens I want too hop on a plain two Aruba, which is a beautiful aisle. Ore go out for some ail at my local pub. You pore you heart and sole into something and then have two prey it won’t be throne into oblivion by a vary evil heroin hoo has come too medal. I’m libel two ripe my hair out. What a jamb for a rider too bee in. It is reel in tents. It makes me want two dye right on the sight, ball my I’s out until I am blew in the face, and clothes up shop. It’s just not fare.

I here some righters have learned the hard lessen and role with the punches. Not me . . . I stay soar for daze. And I am likely too whale for a weak. By I am knot a loud two dew that. My Ant Alice and my bow Richard are vary strict a bout my manors. Butt they always say, “There, they’re, their.”

Oh gosh, that was painful to right, er, uh, ahem . . . I mean write.

All jokes and terrible writing aside, my iPhone autocorrected the word “excellent” to “excrement” in a text to our daughter. The pour poor girl didn’t know what to think.

I know you can disable autocorrect, but sometimes the autocorrectedness (is that a word?) of it all amuses.

 

 

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Cheeky Typos

Tags

Typos, writers, writing

I started blogging almost one year ago. My, how tempus fugit. My 10^th post was viewed by a whopping nine of my undying fans, had three “likes,” and two comments (thank you Tess and Russel). Man, I was on fire with that one!

Back by unpopular demand, I am sharing it again.

Not long after I bought my iPhone, my daughter send me a text to say she received a B+ on a college paper she toiled over. If I recall, the prompt for the essay was asinine and about as clear as a foggy day in London. But that’s not the point here.

I responded to her text about the grade on her paper by saying “That’s excrement, honey!!!!!!!!” (Yes, I use eight exclamation points when I am excited.)

She wrote back with, “Geez, Mom. Don’t you think that is a little harsh?”

Damn autocorrect took advantage of my terrible texting ability and changed “EXCELLENT” to “EXCREMENT.” I meant excellent, excellent, excellent!!!!!!!!

So . . . the point here is autocorrect is both a blessing and excrement. Be careful out there.

Sorry, honey! I really WAS proud of you!

Brilliance in blogging.

However, brilliance aside, I’ve been thinking. A dangerous pastime, I know.

How is it that typos sneak into our work when we aren’t looking? I’ve read my manuscript a good 30 or 40 thousand times. One would think it would be squeaky-clean and typo-free, right? No-siree-bob! Each set of fresh eyes (thank you beta readers) that gaze upon my manuscript and mist over because of the powerful writing, still have the clarity of mind to spot another cheeky typo. Or, as I like to call them, sneaky buggers.

For example, I know the word should be “by,” so my eye and my brain reads “by,” even though the word on the page is “buy.”

I stopped buy the store to by a dictionary.

Or . . .

They need to made spellcheck foolproof.

Or . . .

I love you blog, Robin.

Cheeky-sneaky-bugger typos often rear their ugly heads in comments on blogs. Here is Robin commenting on a blog:

Read post.

Chuckle at post.

Write profound or amusing comment.

Proofread profound or idiotic comment.

Press “Post Comment.”

Scream “&)^#!*%$^&*” after spotting a typo.

Write second comment apologizing for said typo.

Rather than suffering from future humiliating “comment typo apologies,” I apologize to you in advance for comment missteps on my part.

Eons ago, when I was in my twenties, I was a secretary for a pharmaceutical company. I typed up a clinical trial report using a stone slab and chisel. Throughout the report I typed “reslut” instead of “result.” I’m surprised I wasn’t fired.

But here is a typo I can’t forgive. I took this photo at a convenience store where the sign has been proudly displayed for weeks.  How did they miss the typo?

Really?

P.S. Gosh, if there is a typo in this post, will you gently wring my neck?

 

Cheeky Little Typos

Tags

Cambridge Study, editing, Proofreading, Typos, writers, writing

You have probably seen this paragraph:

Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Ah ha! That explains how cheeky little typos keep rearing their ugly heads in my manuscript! My brain knows the word on the page should be “buy” not “by,” so I read write right over it.

I ran across this video from What You Ought To Know debunking the Cambridge study and I’m back to proofreading my novel with a fine-tooth comb.