by Joanne Wiklund
One of the signs I used to make and share with others I found when digging in my office. (Still!) says “Fatigue is sign of a chocolate deficiency.” May have more if you need one. But as I wrote this, my spell check underlined in red the word deficiency. It told me I had spelled it wrong. I looked at it and the English grammar cop in me came out and whispered in my ear: “I before E except after C.”
I just saw a T-shirt on PBS that said “While you are speaking, I’m mentally correcting your grammar.” I knew that was wrong, even with the red I argued with the spell checker. How’s that for arrogance? I popped over to the left where my handy dandy dictionary resides in case I want to peruse it. It agreed. Not with me, with my spell checker. I guess that’s why my old English teacher Lois Prater used to add “with a few exceptions” when she quoted that rule.
Don’t worry. I won’t correct you publicly. I guess I am an exception on spelling virtue. So I didn’t buy that grammar T-shirt. The one I bought is so cute. It’s dark butterscotch color with a tan silhouette of Bigfoot on it walking away. I haven’t been out much. This appropriate shirt says “Bigfoot saw me, but no one believes him.” It seems more appropriate. (Don’t worry about the spelling on silhouette. I checked with the dictionary when the red underlining popped up.)
What does your T-shirt say?
Psalms 63:5-7 “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 6. When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches. 7. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.”