As ever at this time of year, I've been enjoying the blue wood anemones in Kensington Gardens. This year my enjoyment is tempered by my recent mortifying discovery that for many years - probably my whole literate life - I have been misspelling anemone, rendering it 'anenome' (as a quick search of this blog will confirm). I was absolutely convinced that 'anenome' was the right spelling, and was only shaken out of my certainty when Nige Jr presented me with incontrovertible proof that for all these years I had been wrong. This is, I suppose, what might be called a blind spot, and it makes me wonder how many more I have... I remember once, many years ago (student days), getting into a big stand-off with Appleyard over the spelling of a word - I can't remember what the word was, but we were both equally, unshakably convinced we had the right spelling. Soon an unfeasibly large (and therefore notional) sum of money was riding on the outcome, and at last the dictionary was consulted. On that occasion, it turned out I was right, but it could have gone either way. Nowadays I wouldn't bet on being right about anything.
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Spellcheck
As ever at this time of year, I've been enjoying the blue wood anemones in Kensington Gardens. This year my enjoyment is tempered by my recent mortifying discovery that for many years - probably my whole literate life - I have been misspelling anemone, rendering it 'anenome' (as a quick search of this blog will confirm). I was absolutely convinced that 'anenome' was the right spelling, and was only shaken out of my certainty when Nige Jr presented me with incontrovertible proof that for all these years I had been wrong. This is, I suppose, what might be called a blind spot, and it makes me wonder how many more I have... I remember once, many years ago (student days), getting into a big stand-off with Appleyard over the spelling of a word - I can't remember what the word was, but we were both equally, unshakably convinced we had the right spelling. Soon an unfeasibly large (and therefore notional) sum of money was riding on the outcome, and at last the dictionary was consulted. On that occasion, it turned out I was right, but it could have gone either way. Nowadays I wouldn't bet on being right about anything.
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Interesting because I've wondered about the spelling of anemone too - along with nasturtiun or nasturtium. Is it because it's hard to actually hear it accurately, in this case anyway?
ReplyDeleteYes it's odd though, because anemone actually sounds righter than anenome!
ReplyDeleteI made exactly the same mistake for years! Is it perhaps because 'anenome' is so much easier to pronounce than the correct version? (Otherwise your post reminds me of Oxford days, sneaking past the ferocious porters in Magdalene College lodge in order to look for early wood anemones in the fellows' garden at this time of year ...)
ReplyDeleteAnother n/m word I got consistently wrong until I was well into my 30s is "dilemma", which I always spelt "dilemna" on analogy with words like "condemn". I can remember my absolute disbelief when someone made me look it up in the dictionary: I have rarely been so surprised in my life.
Yes the surprise is extraordinary, isn't it - literally jaw-dropping. I love 'dilemna' too. 'Entrepeneur' was another of mine. I think my anemone misconception was secondary, based on a conviction that the instrument that measures wind speed is an 'anenometer', therefore the windflower must be 'anenome'. Hey ho...
ReplyDeleteGood job you didn't place a bet on the spelling time Nige. You wouldn't have won any money. Ahem.
ReplyDeleteGood job you didn't place a bet on the spelling this time Nige. You wouldn't have won any money. Ahem.
ReplyDeleteI'll wager the contested word was 'Brian".
ReplyDeleteDon't be too aghast, Nige. We all do it. Mine was antinomy - spelt over decades after the metalloid & further confounded by its status as one of my top words. But misspelling is venial next to mispronunciation.
Never you mind, Nige. I'm in awe of anyone who uses the word so frequently he can boast that "for many years - probably my whole literate life - I have been misspelling anemone". I have spelled it correctly all my life, but then I only did so once in a Grade Eight spelling bee.
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