Quick Tip #4: Sometimes Spelling Counts
Author: Jayne24 Sep
In general, unless you’re a schoolteacher (and at the moment in the process of executing that job), I find it pretty rude to correct other people’s spelling. (Probably this has something to do with the fact that I’m not a good speller myself. Case in point: I had to look up persuer for this very article.) Not everyone can spell. Not everyone has English as a first language. So as long as their idea comes across, I don’t care how people do it.
However!
Sometimes it matters. The following are all examples I’ve seen recently, and… seriously… it’s worth a mention.
“I’m waiting with baited/bated breath.”
Baited means you’ve been eating worms.
Bated means to abate, to lessen, to hold back, i.e. “I can’t breathe.”
Example #2:
“I am tired of looser/loser old men hitting on me.”
Looser means un-tight. In other words, they might have bowel problems.
Loser means un-winner.
Example #3:
“Please bare/bear with me.”
Bare means naked. So it turns the phrase into a proposition.
Bear means “hang tight”. More or less.
Learn these. Trust me. Unless of course you’re a worm-eating, naked-lovin’ person with bowel afflicted persuers. In which case, as you were.
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I recommend google toolbar for firefox, that underlines any spelling mistakes on any form that you are using, really useful.
wont work so well with your examples though as they are correctly spelled words, just used in the wrong context.
Er, After reading this I just realised I have recently asked a client to get naked with me!
Come to think of it no one asks me to bare with them any more. Tis very sad.
The loser/looser mis-spell is a pet hate of mine. I am very, very anal about it…When I was using a crap dating site where we had to complete questionnaires and answer them, I would always avoid those who used text speak to answer me or those whose spellings were appalling. I got too cocky one day and started having a pop at someone who then turned round and told me he was dyslexic…I was so embarrassed that I keep my big gob shut now!
Some of my peeves:
Their/there
It’s/its
You’re/your
And believe it or not, roll/role. In the last couple months, I twice read “roll” (as in bread) used where a “role” should be (as in “your role on the committee….”).
Yikes!
There’s not much excuse for spelling errors with all the spellcheck plug-ins available. Sometimes I start writing so fast and a typo slips through. I just have to remember to go back and check the post after publishing. The ones you mention are words that sound the same but are spelled different like two/to/too. Those are tough to remember. But I’m the same way, I a bit annoyed when I see those mistakes in print!
dude. that’s EXACTLY how I describe myself on any and all applications or “tell me about yourself” questions.
I’m going back to “as I was.”