Am I the only one?

[Giraffe]

I am about to give up on reading books. I seem to have a talent (curse?) for finding all the typos, grammatical errors, and editing mistakes in a book.

 

I'm reading History of the Ancient World and just about through it across the room last night because of the typos/mistakes in it. There's a map listing the canal built by Necho II as built by Necho III. The word "descendents" was used. The name by which Nataputta Vardhamana became known as was used before explaining it (Mahavira).

 

This is a book by SWB! I know it's not her, it's her copy editor. I'm not bashing her. I love the book, can't wait to read the next one in the series.

 

What frustrates me is that I see these errors and they completely throw me off track in my reading. I can't gloss over them and go on. They stop me cold. I see them in school handouts, every. single. book I read, flyers, etc.

 

Am I the only one? Does everyone else either not notice or just pass them by without any fuss?

[Kathleen in VA]

No, you're not the only one. I try to overlook mistakes when I know the copy hasn't been edited, but I hear you about the things that should have been caught and weren't. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I sent a language arts curriculum back to Rainbow Resource because the author spelled voila "vwa-la." I don't think she even knew it was a French word.:tongue_smilie:

[Caroline]

I am about to give up on reading books. I seem to have a talent (curse?) for finding all the typos, grammatical errors, and editing mistakes in a book.

 

I'm reading History of the Ancient World and just about through it across the room last night because of the typos/mistakes in it. There's a map listing the canal built by Necho II as built by Necho III. The word "descendents" was used.

 

Through it across the room? :D

[AK_Mom4]

I just fix them. They drive me crazy, but once I make the correction, I feel better!

[DarlaS]

Through it across the room? :D

 

No, you're not the only one. ;)

[Giraffe]

How do I gloss over the errors? It's really frustrating!

 

I once wrote the author of a children's book for misspelling nickel as "nickle". It was a board book - not an 800 page tome! He wrote back saying it was a copy editing error and apologized. They found it after the first printing. He sent a corrected book, which was nice but not my goal. I just couldn't let it go.

 

:banghead:

[Giraffe]

Through it across the room? :D

 

ARRGH!!! Oh for crying out loud!! :svengo:

 

I just knew I was going to do that. That's what I get for saying anything!

 

(Slinking back into her hole....):leaving:

[stripe]

I saw a job advertisement that misspelled "hygiene," and another that misspelled something else very obviously wrong. I also recently read a book about philosophy and children that misspelled our president's first name. And Gail Gibbons' "Reasons for the Seasons" and it has an "it's" instead of an "its" on the last page -- acck!

 

You know, the Unabomber used to send red-marked pages back to the editor of the local paper. Sigh.

Edited November 6, 2010 by stripe

[Kathleen in VA]

I just fix them. They drive me crazy, but once I make the correction, I feel better!

 

I actually do this too. And, yes, it does have a calming effect.

 

I was hired as a proofreader by a homeschool author because I wrote to tell her how to tidy up her book for the second edition. She just happened to live a few miles away from me so she offered me the job. Not being able to look past typos can actually become a lucrative occupation.:D

[fairfarmhand]

I notice that too.

 

my pet peeve? typos on Store signs.

 

It makes me crazy as do intentional misspellings (think Klassy Kuntry Tile as the name of a business. AURGH!)

[stripe]

Kampgrounds of America?

 

I think they misspell because you can't copyright regular words.

 

My petpeeve used to be fractions of a cent (Green beans .29c per pound), but since no one EVER gets this right, I've had to move on.

[Kathleen in VA]

During our visit to Mt. Vernon yesterday I noticed a typo on the sign at the shoemaker's workshop. The title said "Shoemaker's Workshop" but the first sentence read "shomaker." This was an official wooden sign that had been profesionally produced - not just a little handwritten poster. It was kind of busy there so I just passed on by and let it go. That was very, very hard to do, btw.

[stripe]

I took a look at a book about this guy who travels the country correcting typos. I was a little bored by it, but it was a good topic, anyway...

 

http://greattypohunt.com/

[ShutterBug]

No, you're not the only one who does this...but I think you'd be much happier if you'd just move past it and let it go. It's just a typo after all :001_smile: .

[Giraffe]

There is a huge sign near us, lighted, part of a shopping center display, that says "TRIFF STORE".

 

They mean Thrift.

[Kathleen in VA]

No, you're not the only one who does this...but I think you'd be much happier if you'd just move past it and let it go. It's just a typo after all :001_smile: .

 

If only we could. Definitely easier said than done, I'm afraid.:D

[Giraffe]

If only we could. Definitely easier said than done, I'm afraid.:D

 

Exactly.

[Punchie]

My sister does this with movies - she catches all of the inconsistancies. Drives me nuts watching films w/her b/c she points them out and then I can't enjoy it anymore.

[Pretty in Pink]

There is a huge sign near us, lighted, part of a shopping center display, that says "TRIFF STORE".

 

They mean Thrift.

 

Seriously? Oh my. :001_huh:

[Guest Dulcimeramy]

No, you're not the only one. I try to overlook mistakes when I know the copy hasn't been edited, but I hear you about the things that should have been caught and weren't. It's like fingernails on a chalkboard. I sent a language arts curriculum back to Rainbow Resource because the author spelled voila "vwa-la." I don't think she even knew it was a French word.:tongue_smilie:

 

I am amazed how many people have obviously never seen the word in print. Even here on the WTM boards, I have often seen "wah-lah."

 

What do they think they are saying??

 

I was shopping online for a homeschool public speaking program. I found one that claims to be the best in the world, but whoever wrote the website does not know that one should capitalize sentences. Also, every paragraph had spelling errors.

 

Yes, please, take my money and send me your curriculum. :lol:

[justamouse]

publishing has gone through a huge layoff in the last few years. There are so many books -- too few editors. There is no such thing as an editor helping a promising writer a long, there is no time for that anymore. they work all the time- from home- for very little. They are tired, and they aren't paid enough. THAT is why there are errors everywhere. Even the copy editors are overworked. It won't get better until the publishing earthquake starts to work itself out.

[cathmom]

I have worked as an editor, and I find mistakes everywhere. My 7th grade English teacher had a poster that she put up every year on her classroom door with clippings from newspapers that had mistakes in them. I found all the mistakes within a couple of minutes and told them to her. She was dumbfounded - she said no one else had ever even found all the mistakes, let alone as quickly as I did. (background to establish my pedigree :D)

 

(real point of my post :D) Mistakes used to really, really bother me, like you said. But nearly twenty years ago, I asked myself, "How do I want to go through life? Pointing out everyone's mistakes? Being so nitpicky that I ruin my own enjoyment of things and make it so no one wants to be near me?" I decided no. I stopped focusing on mistakes, and eventually I found that they bothered me less. I actually find it amusing - the many and varied ways that I have seen "Voilà" spelled.

[Crissy]

My sister does this with movies - she catches all of the inconsistancies. Drives me nuts watching films w/her b/c she points them out and then I can't enjoy it anymore.

 

:glare:

My husband and my older son do this.

I understand that inconsistencies and mistakes bother them, but it completely ruins my movie experience when they feel the need to share Every Single One with me.

[Kathleen in VA]

I have worked as an editor, and I find mistakes everywhere. My 7th grade English teacher had a poster that she put up every year on her classroom door with clippings from newspapers that had mistakes in them. I found all the mistakes within a couple of minutes and told them to her. She was dumbfounded - she said no one else had ever even found all the mistakes, let alone as quickly as I did. (background to establish my pedigree :D)

 

(real point of my post :D) Mistakes used to really, really bother me, like you said. But nearly twenty years ago, I asked myself, "How do I want to go through life? Pointing out everyone's mistakes? Being so nitpicky that I ruin my own enjoyment of things and make it so no one wants to be near me?" I decided no. I stopped focusing on mistakes, and eventually I found that they bothered me less. I actually find it amusing - the many and varied ways that I have seen "Voilà" spelled.

 

That's why I have no problem overlooking a great many of them. By overlooking, I mean I don't write to the author or the webmaster, I just go on with my life. But I'm afraid I draw the line at spending money on a language arts curriclum that includes a spelling component written by an author who clearly cannot spell. There must be some standard about curriculum - at least in my book.

 

I especially cringe when the typos and grammatical errors are made by publishers of homeschool books and curriculum. A lot of non-homeschooling folks are out there looking for ammunition and I, for one, think we ought to be a bit more careful about giving it to them. Kwim?

 

Like I said, for stuff that's obviously not been under the scruitiny of a proofreader's eye, no big deal. But if you're going to put yourself out there as a published author, you had better be careful to get the vast majority of the mistakes taken care of. jmo.

[Aurelia]

My sister does this with movies - she catches all of the inconsistancies. Drives me nuts watching films w/her b/c she points them out and then I can't enjoy it anymore.

 

I do this, and it drives DH insane. I have to consciously stop myself from saying anything (on occasion by literally biting my tongue) so I don't ruin every movie for him. I do the same thing with written content. Luckily one of my good friends from work does it also, so we make fun of the errors together. :lol:

[DaffodilDreams]

I notice that sort of thing, too, but I usually try not to let it bother me. I have to admit, though, the errors in our local paper irritate me so much that I've thought of calling the paper and offering up my services as an editor since it appears there isn't one! :001_smile:

[Hedgehog]

Through it across the room? :D

 

*snort* :lol:

 

Sorry, Hopscotch. Spelling mistakes bug me too, although I don't think they've ever stopped me reading anything I wanted to read. I just randomly proof-read any words I see, including road and shop signs, train timetables, restaurant menus.. you name it, I proofread it. :D

[Giraffe]

*snort* :lol:

 

Sorry, Hopscotch. Spelling mistakes bug me too, although I don't think they've ever stopped me reading anything I wanted to read. I just randomly proof-read any words I see, including road and shop signs, train timetables, restaurant menus.. you name it, I proofread it. :D

 

It's ok. I wanted to just crawl into a hole when I saw the mistake. ARRGH!

:svengo:

 

:leaving:

[kiana]

Lol ur 2 worryed abt things. Idk but i dont think anything rong wif typos after all lol alot of ppl typo and some of them are rilly smart.

 

:leaving:

 

:D

[Paintedlady]

I tend to notice things like that, but you sound a little silly and over the top about it. Sorry.

[Kareni]

I was hired as a proofreader by a homeschool author because I wrote to tell her how to tidy up her book for the second edition. She just happened to live a few miles away from me so she offered me the job. Not being able to look past typos can actually become a lucrative occupation.:D

 

 

I had a similar experience. In my case, I wrote to the owner of a company that published homeschooling materials after I saw an abundance of errors in their catalog. I was hired to proofread several of their subsequent publications.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Hedgehog]

I was shopping online for a homeschool public speaking program. I found one that claims to be the best in the world, but whoever wrote the website does not know that one should capitalize sentences. Also, every paragraph had spelling errors.

 

Yes, please, take my money and send me your curriculum. :lol:

 

My second snort on this thread. :smilielol5: At least it wasn't a spelling or grammar curriculum!

[Impish]

Its not a typo, but something Diva picked up:

 

In The Long Winter, Laura is mentioned as being 'almost fourteen'. Almanzo is said to be 19.

 

When they get married, in the First Four Years, they mention that Almanzo is 10 yrs older than Laura. :001_huh:

[Hedgehog]

Its not a typo, but something Diva picked up:

 

In The Long Winter, Laura is mentioned as being 'almost fourteen'. Almanzo is said to be 19.

 

When they get married, in the First Four Years, they mention that Almanzo is 10 yrs older than Laura. :001_huh:

 

I might regret jumping in here! But I thought that Almanzo was 19 when he arrived on the prairie with his older brother; he'd be older when he met Laura (and then quite possibly 10yrs older than her)?

[Impish]

I might regret jumping in here! But I thought that Almanzo was 19 when he arrived on the prairie with his older brother; he'd be older when he met Laura (and then quite possibly 10yrs older than her)?

Laura would age at the same rate ;)

[Hedgehog]

Laura would age at the same rate ;)

 

Of course.

 

Being me, I had to go check in my books.

 

At the beginning of The Long Winter, Laura is said to be "going on fourteen", i.e, she is 13 (Chapter 1). When Almanzo and his brother Royal took the claim, he was 19, and stated to be so still in Chapter 10. I can't find anything that says there was 10yrs between them though. Where is that?

[kiana]

Its not a typo, but something Diva picked up:

 

In The Long Winter, Laura is mentioned as being 'almost fourteen'. Almanzo is said to be 19.

 

When they get married, in the First Four Years, they mention that Almanzo is 10 yrs older than Laura. :001_huh:

 

 

I believe this was a deliberate misstatement in an attempt to decrease the magnitude of the age gap.

[6packofun]

ROTFL :lol:

[stripe]

I am amazed how many people have obviously never seen the word in print. Even here on the WTM boards, I have often seen "wah-lah."

 

What do they think they are saying??

I am honestly not sure "voilà" means anything more to a non-French speaker than "vwala" or "wahla" or whatever, in and of itself. (It's a phrase with that certain "je ne sais quoi" !) Maybe they think it's like "Ta-da!" Not really sure...But it must be popular enough because there is something called "Vwala!".

[Rhonda in TX]

It's ok. I wanted to just crawl into a hole when I saw the mistake. ARRGH!

:svengo:

 

:leaving:

 

I think you need to show a little grace and move on. Obviously mistakes happen, right? :)

 

(I notice grammatical and spelling mistakes as well, but I would not let it stop me from reading a book I'm enjoying.)

[TravelingChris]

I have never seen Voila spelled vwala or any other way. My problem with serious misspellings is that I simply don't understand them. Like if I have seen vwa-la without the explanation, I would have thought it was some strange other word. In fact, the misspelling reminds me of Valhalla. Not sure why but there it is.

[Harriet Vane]

I worked in publishing for several years prior to having children. One of the publishing houses for which I worked was known for its high editing/proofing standards. Each manuscript was vetted by: 1 senior editor, 3 copy editors, 1 typesetter, and 2 proofreaders. That's seven experts microscopically examining a manuscript--and all seven of those people were by personality as well as training obsessive about text errors.

 

Yet

 

Somehow books were/are published with errors. We found them post-publication all the time. People wrote to us about the errors. As the errors came to light, they were filed and corrected on subsequent reprintings. It was the best we could do.

 

Not all publishing houses have that many people scrutinizing a book. Errors happen. It's just the nature of the beast.

[LibraryLover]

I do this, and it drives DH insane. I have to consciously stop myself from saying anything (on occasion by literally biting my tongue) so I don't ruin every movie for him. I do the same thing with written content. Luckily one of my good friends from work does it also, so we make fun of the errors together. :lol:

 

 

My brother is a pixel freak. He counts & troubleshoots them...and tells us about them. He tries, bless his heart, but I know it gets his heart racing, and he really can't hide it. His breathig changes, he fidgets etc. He's like that for a lot of things, actually, and it makes me sad for him.

 

My mind will automatically correct certain writing errors, so therefore I don't always notice, or if I do, I can easily continue. (Although... God Love's Everyone is hard to ignore). I thought 'Through it out the window' was ironic commentary, so I smiled.

 

It gets me threw the day. :D

Edited November 8, 2010 by LibraryLover

[specialmama]

I think you need to show a little grace and move on. Obviously mistakes happen, right? :)

 

(I notice grammatical and spelling mistakes as well, but I would not let it stop me from reading a book I'm enjoying.)

 

I worked in publishing for several years prior to having children. One of the publishing houses for which I worked was known for its high editing/proofing standards. Each manuscript was vetted by: 1 senior editor, 3 copy editors, 1 typesetter, and 2 proofreaders. That's seven experts microscopically examining a manuscript--and all seven of those people were by personality as well as training obsessive about text errors.

 

Yet

 

Somehow books were/are published with errors. We found them post-publication all the time. People wrote to us about the errors. As the errors came to light, they were filed and corrected on subsequent reprintings. It was the best we could do.

 

Not all publishing houses have that many people scrutinizing a book. Errors happen. It's just the nature of the beast.

:iagree: I was in publishing as well and mistakes still happen. Be gracious and realize that you are guilty of it as well. Pride goeth before a fall. ;) It's a truth that proves itself time and time again. It just got me yesterday. :tongue_smilie:

[LibraryLover]

:iagree: I was in publishing as well and mistakes still happen. Be gracious and realize that you are guilty of it as well. Pride goeth before a fall. ;) It's a truth that proves itself time and time again. It just got me yesterday. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

If you count typos, I'm a daily kind- of- gal. :auto:

[specialmama]

If you count typos, I'm a daily kind- of- gal. :auto:

 

:lol: I think pride about anything counts. But I hear you! I have days were the words could and should just do not look right! :tongue_smilie: