For Hitcher...

[Aiolos]

Grammar Cop

[Beemer]

Excellent, Hitcher won't be the only one who will appreciate this!

The number of times I see reports of someone "loosing" something is unbelievable. Combination of reporters who can't spell and inexperienced subs who don't know the difference!

[Wolf]

Excellent, Hitcher won't be the only one who will appreciate this!

The number of times I see reports of someone "loosing" something is unbelievable. Combination of reporters who can't spell and inexperienced subs who don't know the difference!

When I was working at [large Tertiary Institute] I got a look at what one of the journalism students had written. His handwriting was like that of a six-year old, his spelling of common words was attrocious, Corporal Carrot's random salting of punctuation marks would make more sense than his attempts at punctuation and the bit that sticks out is "he said that they were at log a heads..."

Now, while I do not expect him to know what a loggerhead is and the origin of the phrase "at loggerheads", but - since it is a common phrase - I do expect him to be able to spell the word. I would also have expected other more common words to be correctly spelled.

I suppose that it's a side-effect of the new progressive teaching where "as long as you write it how it sounds, people should understand you - we'll give you an "Achieved" for that..."

With students leaving high school with that level of "literacy", small wonder the current crop of Journalists are (on average) below par.

There are exceptions, of course, but I'm not impressed with the output from schools these days.

[inlinefour]

Mr H has settled down some what and now appreas to accept us grammer/spelling etc challenged quite well

[Wolf]

Mr H has settled down some what and now appreas to accept us grammer/spelling etc challenged quite well

Nah, the volume of misspelled and grammatically challenged posts has just got to the point he can't give everyone the "personal treatment" - unless you write "ass" in any other context than referring to a donkey...

I could see the end was in sight when I started beating him to correcting people's spelling and grammar...

[MSTRS:Me]

..... bit that sticks out is "he said that they we're at log a heads..."

Corrected. Happy now?

[Mental Trousers]

....I would also have expected other more common words to be correctly spelt.

There you go.

[yungatart]

Atrocious has only 1 "t", Wolf

[Beemer]

Isn't spelt a type of flour? I hate the 't' ending on words like spellt, learnt, earnt, etc.

What about the infamous incident of a cadet reporter attending a health board meeting and writing her story up about youth in Asia - you guessed it, they were discussing euthanasia!

I was told by my tutor that I would be a useless journalist because I could spell. Many journalists are absolutely dreadful at spelling and their grammar isn't much better. Years ago the subs used to be former journalists but now (in the case of one paper I've worked for) they often get their jobs because their partner works at the paper too. No experience and they don't really give a damn because they realise it's fish and chip wrapping tomorrow.

Long live Hitcher and his ilk! (And no, that is not a type of large moose.)

[Jantar]

Isn't spelt a type of flour? I hate the 't' ending on words like spellt, learnt, earnt, etc.

Actually "spelt" is the correct past tense of "spell". I see that many modern dictionaries do allow the americanism "spelled" to be used. But to be more corect in the english language "spelled" is the same as "rested". eg, the rider spelled his horse.

[Wolf]

Actually "spelt" is the correct past tense of "spell". I see that many modern dictionaries do allow the americanism "spelled" to be used. But to be more corect in the english language "spelled" is the same as "rested". eg, the rider spelled his horse.

Jantar and MTrousers are right - I was in a hurry when writing and let a a few mistakes slip past - thank you, too, Yungatart - but at least I can spell "loggerheads" and know its origin

[MSTRS:Me]

Actually "spelt" is the correct past tense of "spell". I see that many modern dictionaries do allow the americanism "spelled" to be used. But to be more correct in the english language "spelled" is the same as "rested". eg, the rider spelled his horse.

Yea - I know - I'm a bastard

[Wolf]

Yea - I know - I'm a bastard

I thought you knew who your father was...

[Hitcher]

Isn't spelt a type of flour? I hate the 't' ending on words like spellt, learnt, earnt, etc.

Spelt is a type of flour, and spelled is a wee rest. I prefer spelt. Where is jrandom when you need him?

[Beemer]

As long as the Collins Dictionary has spelled, I'll use it! I realise either option is probably acceptable, but the 't' ending sounds so harsh to my ears. And I hope you don't have learnt colleagues instead of learned - ugh!