The word for submerged or wholly engaged is "immersed.") "The Huskies' confidence reached a rarified level." (This not-so-rare mistake occurs even at rarefied levels.) "A cacaphony of horn-honking downtown." (Uh-"o." This word produces a cacophony of different spellings.)Īnd now let's stick our hands into a vipers' nest of particularly devious words. "With the Senate, emersed as it was in health care discussions." ("Emersed" means emerging from the water, like a lily pad. "Spacecraft launched on journey to astroid." (This word comes with an "aster"-risk it's "asteroid.") "Afficionados reserve the same kind of dogged attachment to their sport." (While aficionados do have affection and affinity for something, aficionado has only one "f.") "We thought the FBI was the calvary coming to save us." (Don't be cavalier and cross Calvary, the hill on which Jesus was crucified, with cavalry, meaning horse soldiers.) Here are some recent examples from various publications: Given spelling's "Shakey" history, it's no wonder we have trouble spelling certain words. The Bard of Avon himself spelled his own name at least six different ways. Well into Shakespeare's time, spelling was largely a matter of personal taste. In fact, misspelling has not always borne such a stigma.
If you doubt the truth of that statement, just ask the Fourth Earl of Indiana, Dan "Potatoe" Quayle. "One false spelling may fix a stigma upon a man for life," wrote the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield in 1750.
0 kommentar(er)
