Tuesday 22 June 2010

Spelling, Wenglish, English and everything in between...

It's an odd one. And I accidentally started a bit of a debate in the Etsy forums on the subject - Spelling...

For me it's not an issue of a genuine spelling mistake - if you look in my store and you see a glaring error, I need to know about it. Grammar mistake... well if it really offensive to you then go for it - let me know.

But since setting up shop on Etsy which is US based, I've had a lot of people telling me I've spelled certain words wrong... when they aren't. Well.... Not to me anyway - I just use British spelling (and throw a bit of wenglish in every now and again!)

I think I got a bit frustrated with it when I put it up in the forum and it came out a bit negative to some people - it wasn't meant that way, I can't be nasty, it's just not in me :)

I am quite dyslexic and am a bit paranoid about it showing through at the best of times (I try to spell check everything first but things invariably slip through the net) - so I'm perhaps a bit oversensitive. If it had been maybe 2/3 people saying it then I'd probably be OK, but it's many more than that.

Colour, Grey, favourite, centre.... to name a few. I try and use the US spellings in my shop tags as to ensure you Yanks make it to my store... but I LIKE spelling things the way I was taught, I don't want to change it!

So be aware people - there are genuine spelling differences across the English language - they are differences not mistakes!

Let me know what you think!

Lol - and I've had a few requests for a bit of wenglish :)
If something is good - we say it's tidy,
If something is icky or gross - we say ach-a-fi! (said uck-a-vi...sort of!)
If something is very___, you'd say - that's proper good!

And check out Talk Tidy for a full Wenglish dictionary!

Debs :)

5 comments:

  1. it's a difficult one isn't it, I'm the same as you - I like to spell things the way I was taught...someone twittered me not long ago informing me I had spelt my business name SP Jewellery wrong lol and I have to admit I replied in a rather sarcastic tone...oops!

    when listing jewellery on twitter I always use the american spelling but I don't worry about any other words :)

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  2. Don't change! That is who you are.

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  3. No worry!! Wenglish is wonderful (oh! I meant tidy!) Everyone should remember that Etsy and the web include people from all over the world and we all speak a little differently -- that's what makes it all so interesting. I can't believe the audacity of someone correcting you!

    Following you now from the Etsy forums!

    And I'm lovin' your "ladybird tea cozy" (hey! I call them "ladybugs")!!!!

    What fun!

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  4. I aint gonna lie to you Debs - Ida reckon Wenglish is lush. (I do live in Barry mind!) :)

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  5. Barry! Tidy! - I'm in Canton in Cardiff - i LOVE Barry Island :)

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