Gransnet forums

Chat

It's wrong, but it is quite a good mistake I thought!

(34 Posts)
Indinana Fri 08-Apr-16 12:11:18

I've just been reading a blog about how to handle compliments. The blogger said she usually says something 'self-depreciating' smile. Yes, the error jumped out at me, but then I thought, actually, I can see why she would think that's correct, because she is 'not appreciating' what she has achieved.
I'm sure there must be other examples of misunderstood/misspelled words that result in a perfectly reasonable incorrect word. It's all part of the evolution of language. Have you come across any?

PRINTMISS Thu 14-Apr-16 16:55:23

I have just caught up with this, and I have had a good laugh, thank you Anna and nina, that will teach me not to make fun of a very dear friend. (I almost typed Fiend, there!).

BBbevan Thu 14-Apr-16 19:09:35

I loved the ' while and wipe' one. I wanted to write something about Cynthia Payne.

BBbevan Thu 14-Apr-16 19:11:49

Oh and ' tow the line' not toe and ' state of the ark'

Gagagran Thu 14-Apr-16 19:20:03

DH was convinced it was "one fowl swoop" and not "fell swoop". He had used the former all his life without realising it was incorrect.

Nelliemoser Thu 14-Apr-16 20:42:00

I am very bad at seeing these and my typing is not accurate. I tend to read and hear the words and recognise the sound rather than the pattern of letters.
Proof reading anything I have written is really difficult.

GrandmaKT Thu 14-Apr-16 21:21:59

Muphry's law strikes again!

Muphry's law is an adage that states: "If you write anything criticizing editing or proofreading, there will be a fault of some kind in what you have written." The name is a deliberate misspelling of Murphy's law. wink

grumppa Thu 14-Apr-16 22:05:04

To return to the OP, this is an interesting case of an error being as meaningful as what was intended. Depreciate used transitively means to reduce the value of something, so someone who self-depreciates is talking him/herself down; very similar to self-deprecating.

But I am straying into Pedants' Corner.....

Indinana Fri 15-Apr-16 08:51:41

Exactly my point grumppa! I'm glad at least someone has 'got' my OP smile