Top 10 Spellcheck Whoopsies.

Yahoo.com came out with their top ten miscues that spellcheck doesn't catch. The truest bit about this article is that after reading it everyone will still make the same mistakes. The same holds true for this blog post. Eh, our collective short-term memory isn't too hot, but why focus on potential dementia in all of us? That's no fun.

Some of the whoopsies, according to Yahoo?

1.) Affect / Effect:

Verb and noun. Simple as that. Will you remember? No. Why not? Might I suggest it's because of the stubbornness your mother talks about?

2.) Would have / Would of:

This is all about pronunciation issues. People say would of (in a mumble like James Dean, with a little swagger, as if some worrying girlfriend that looks like Natalie Wood is telling you not to race Johnny Martins because his car is just too fast!!) when they really just mean would have.

3.) Then / Than:

Really?

4.) It's / Its:

This one I can get behind because the grammar rule is flawed.

See, apostrophes are to be used to show possession (among other reasons, but let's ignore those for now, because this is a wonderful land of make believe)--so that is Helen's motorcycle, and Myrtle's pickup truck, and Ethel's Porche 911 convertible. But for some reason that rule gets thrown out when it comes to its/it's. Conjunctions are to blame. It is becomes it's, and when a possessive it comes around you're to eliminate the apostrophe altogether.

And, yes--I'll forget my own rule explanation right there in about two minutes--umm, nope, now.

5.) Sales / Sails:

Wait, what? People are screwing up this one? Really? People are saying The sales on my boat and I made a lot of sails today at my farmer's market? Granted, you could make sails while at a farmer's market. It could be a very aqua-oriented type farmer's market crowd. But, still, really? Sales/sails? Have we come to this?

6.) Wonder / wander:

It's all Langston Hughes's fault.




(Side note: I've never heard of an It's-It Ice Cream Treat before, but I want one now. It looks captivating and dangerous all the same.)