Spelling rant

[Meadbh]

Why can people not take the trouble to spell my name and email address correctly? When their hastily composed messages disappear into the ether, they get all defensive and blame me for failing to respond to messages that they never sent me. I may have chosen my email address, but I did not choose my name. Neither require the intellectual skills of a rocket scientist to transcribe without errors.

Spellcheck has a lot to answer for. I recently received a group message from someone who organizes a social activity that I participate in, to clarify her email address. In fact, she only added to the confusion, because she didn't double check on Spellcheck, which inserted what it thought was a logical word. My current practice is to add senders of important emails to contact lists. That way I ensure that I have the correct spelling.

It doesn't help that my real name is unusual and that some people think it is funny to make it into a joke.

And by the way, my forum name is Meadbh, not mead.

 

[steelyman]

That's understandable (your thoughts).

People remember my name I suppose because they know it comes from Steely Dan.

I don't do social networks, or I bet they'd botch it too.

 

[NW-Bound]

...
And by the way, my forum name is Meadbh, not mead.

Yes. And here's how to pronounce it: Meadbh pronunciation: How to pronounce Meadbh in Irish.

 

[W2R]

Why can people not take the trouble to spell my name and email address correctly? When their hastily composed messages disappear into the ether, they get all defensive and blame me for failing to respond to messages that they never sent me. I may have chosen my email address, but I did not choose my name. Neither require the intellectual skills of a rocket scientist to transcribe without errors.

Spellcheck has a lot to answer for. I recently received a group message from someone who organizes a social activity that I participate in, to clarify her email address. In fact, she only added to the confusion, because she didn't double check on Spellcheck, which inserted what it thought was a logical word. My current practice is to add senders of important emails to contact lists. That way I ensure that I have the correct spelling.

It doesn't help that my real name is unusual and that some people think it is funny to make it into a joke.

And by the way, my forum name is Meadbh, not mead.

I agree completely, Meadbh! They could at least TRY. I guess some folks think that since they have an iPhone with autocorrect, they no longer need to quickly scan through what they have written to check for incorrect autocorrecting. I hate posting with an iPhone as much as the next person (maybe more), but checking such a post is the least one can do.

My real name is common but the spelling is slightly unusual with one extra letter added. A few people who have known the spelling of my name for years still spell it the conventional way instead of adopting the slightly unusual spelling. I don't hold it against them but it does seem a little lazy.

Spelling? Grammar? These seem to be ancient forgotten arts of late. I am not perfect at either but at least I try.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Oooh, I might be guilty of shortening your name to mead on the forum, but I do that a lot. Just ask Feever aka Bestwifeever! Sorry!

 

[Bestwifeever]

I grew up with a first name few had heard of back then, although it is common today, and a last name that no one could ever pronounce. Both were always misspelled. I learned a long time ago not to sweat the mispronunciations or misspellings.

I try to be the first to send a text or email to a new address; that way the receiver can save mine. Assuming I don't screw up theirs.

 

[steelyman]

The other forum people are still assigning me a name, but I don't mind "steely". I bet if you sent it there, it would land in Pittsburgh!

 

[Keim]

I am consistently amazed how many different ways Keim can be spelled.

 

[MichaelB]

Meadbh, apologies if I have ever mis-e-pronounced your name, as I know that grating feeling well, as does DW. Her name is challenging in English, especially for those not making much of an effort. Language is not easy for some.

 

[Janet H]

OK - I admit it; I am one of the bad spellers in the world. I'm also a lousy (but fast) typist and in combination these are especially embarrassing. There are some words that consistently trip me up and no matter how many tricks I try to forever learn correct spellings, correct spelling seems to elude me. License, concise, divisive and other words with c, i and s are at the top of my problem list. My plan for improvement is simple - I keep trying and beg forgiveness when needed

 

[REWahoo]

OK - I admit it; I am one of the bad spellers in the world.

I'm a sheety speler to.

 

[Meadbh]

And another thing....

Recently we had some new members on our strata board. One of them kept sending my messages to a totally made up and nonexistent email address which was the address he thought I ought to have! In fact I use a specific email address for the board which follows the standard format for our strata. He was just too lazy to use it.

Meadbh

 

[bjorn2bwild]

Lets not forget dyslexia.
I have never been officially diagnosed, but am pretty sure that I suffer this malady. When I heard David Boies explain his coping mechanism (visual identity of entire words, and a great memory), it truly hit home.

 

[ERD50]

Yes. And here's how to pronounce it: Meadbh pronunciation: How to pronounce Meadbh in Irish.

That sounded like "Maze" to me, but other sites spell it out as "Mave", rhythms with "Save"?

Back to Meadbh - At any rate, I was not aware that screen name was your actual name. It could have easily been "Mead" and the "bh" means something to you. So people here might drop the 'bh' and just say 'Mead', the same way they drop the 50 and call me ERD.

I spent a little time in Ireland on business, and the last names of the Irish there were pretty straightforward for us Americans, they were mostly common surnames that were familiar to us growing up. But the spelling and pronunciation of the first names were really tough.

But I agree, a pet peeve of mine is people trying to type out an email address over and over again, rather than add it to their contacts and select it to avoid errors.


-ERD50

 

[omni550]

Back to Meadbh - At any rate, I was not aware that screen name was your actual name. It could have easily been "Mead" and the "bh" means something to you. So people here might drop the 'bh' and just say 'Mead', the same way they drop the 50 and call me ERD.

-ERD50

+1

omni

 

[Meadbh]

Back to Meadbh - At any rate, I was not aware that screen name was your actual name. It could have easily been "Mead" and the "bh" means something to you. So people here might drop the 'bh' and just say 'Mead', the same way they drop the 50 and call me ERD.

-ERD50

Meadbh is not my actual first name. Meadbh is, however, a reasonably common Irish female name, which I use on the forum because it's original owner was a financially independent queen who didn't put up with any crap. She is held in high esteem in Irish mythology and is a heroine of mine. There are many Meadbhs in Ireland and they would not respond to "Mead", which is a drink made from honey.

My real name is also uncommon. Unfortunately, it is one of those names that can be twisted into (for example) the name of a nasty parasite.

Just don't mess with my name!

 

[NW-Bound]

What makes it even more confusing is that there are many spelling variations of the same name. From Wikipedia,

Maeve is a first name of Irish origin. In Irish Gaelic, the name "Medbh" or "Méadhbh" means "she who intoxicates." It is rooted in the Irish legend of Queen Maeve or Medb, one of the main protagonists of the early Irish legend Táin Bó Cúailnge. It is also associated with the fairy queen Queen Mab of Irish and English legend.​

 

[ERD50]

...

My real name is also uncommon. Unfortunately, it is one of those names that can be twisted into (for example) the name of a nasty parasite.

Just don't mess with my name!

Well my real name is a common word, but the pronunciation is different from what most people expect (like Smith versus Smythe), and it lends itself to some 'clever' comments (like I never heard that one before ).

At some age, each of our kids would ask, "How come everyone says our name wrong?", and we just say - "Get used to it".

I just 'love it' when the cashiers get your name from the loyalty cards, and then mangle your name when they say "Have a good day Mr xxxxxx" and mispronounce my name. Makes me feel sooooo special!


-ERD50

 

[F4mandolin]

My real name is Fred......but I respond to many assorted swear words. My wife gives me the two finger salute so often I consider it a form of endearment.

 

[Gumby]

In almost 55 years, the only person in this country who has ever pronounced my first name properly is my mother. My father can't, nor can my siblings, my cousins, their children or grandchildren. Heck, even the young wife can't. It seems simple to me, but whenever I say it, people think I'm saying something else.

At least I can still cash my paycheck, no matter how they pronounce it.

 

[imoldernu]

My (real) first name is easy... Spelled the same, upside down and backward. It used to be a most common name, but then imoldernu, so you might not guess..

 

[F4mandolin]

My (real) first name is easy... Spelled the same, upside down and backward. It used to be a most common name, but then imoldernu, so you might not guess..

Uh oh......an intelligence test.....

 

[Bestwifeever]

My (real) first name is easy... Spelled the same, upside down and backward. It used to be a most common name, but then imoldernu, so you might not guess..

A man, a plan, a canal--Panama?

 

[Bestwifeever]

In almost 55 years, the only person in this country who has ever pronounced my first name properly is my mother. My father can't, nor can my siblings, my cousins, their children or grandchildren. Heck, even the young wife can't. It seems simple to me, but whenever I say it, people think I'm saying something else. At least I can still cash my paycheck, no matter how they pronounce it.

Tell them It has a hard G, not Jumby.

 

[Keim]

Doesn't get much older than Asa. Go back far enough and it was also common.