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Many of these gaffs have been gathered into funny anthologies, such as Denys Parson’s classic ‘Shrdlu’ books of the 1950s, beginning with It Must Be True, a volume about which I have recently written on my Ex Libris blog.
I’ve suffered from a good few ‘misprunts’ in my career, but none more galling than that which appeared in an Edinburgh newspaper's critique of my play about Edward Lear, To Sea in a Sieve. An otherwise glowing review was ruined by a single, simple error when the writer (or possibly an over-zealous sub-editor) revealed a pathetic lack of childhood exposure to such Leary creatures as the Dong with the Luminous Nose ...
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“Brian Sibley" ran the notice, "presented many lively nonsense characters on stage including an extremely amusing portrayal of the DOG with a luminous nose…”
Today, in the era of the computer spell-checker, it should all be so much easier. Except, of course, that it isn't! The other day, mine bumped up against the name Tolkien - admittedly mistyped as ‘Tolkine’ - and decided that the word I was really looking for was Tow-line!
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When the spell-checker (not knowing Melville's novel or the Old Testament) came to do its job, it was hopelessly nonplussed; but - in the spirit of automated helpfulness - felt obligated to make a suggestion...
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As it happens, Ishmael was alone among the crew of the ill-fated ‘Pequod’ in not becoming fish-meal at the end of the book; otherwise it wasn't a bad harpoon stab-in-the-dark - especially since, in Melville’s day, the whale was still believed to be a fish, rather than a mammal.
I think I might now almost be ready to start a collection of spell-check aberrations... So, if anyone wishes to contribute known examples - ‘freel fee’!
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