Looks like we didn't port this thread (https://www.chronicle.com/forums/index.php/topic,43279.0.html) over from the old forum, but it's a fun one, and worth having. It differs from the words students don't know in that students know these words--they just don't know how to spell them.
I haven't had one worth reporting in a while, but I finally came across this in my most recent batch of midterms:
arrow cells (as in: a suspension of fine solid particles in gas)
"The Lamination of Christ"
"The Sixteen Chapel"
I admit I gave partial credit on these answers because bless their hearts.
Another student recently asked me via email for help on their "Self Poortrait".
Quote from: onehappyunicorn on February 20, 2020, 12:27:47 PM
"The Lamination of Christ"
"The Sixteen Chapel"
I admit I gave partial credit on these answers because bless their hearts.
Another student recently asked me via email for help on their "Self Poortrait".
Priceless. Even better if it was a religious studies class rather than an art class, but I suspect art class from the poortrait plea. The first two sound like spell-check errors...
The "self-poortrait" may have simply been an honest self-assessment of current skill level.
Keep at it, Self-Poortraitist!" Everybody has to start somewhere.
You are correct in that it was an art appreciation course. The answers were hand written though so no spell check involved. I haven't taught lecture in some time but I used to have a list of funny misspellings somewhere...
"He is the escape goat."
As in, he disguises himself as the prisoner so she can escape.
Our family goat-keeping experience taught me that every goat is an escape goat. It's amazing how resourceful such otherwise dumb animals can be when it comes to getting into places where they aren't supposed to be.
Or out of.
Picturing my long, lanky cousin running down the lane after "Eli," who looked professorial when he stared down his nose at you over the fence, but could jump that fence as easily as wag his head, and there you were....running down the lane after him....
M.
One time a student actually misspelled her own name. (It was a common word-name.)
Also, they always misspelled surely, and wrote surly.
I'm grading papers right now (for graduate students) and I just ran across this one: Processes that are hinderous to student success. Hinderous? This just a day after a different student talked about the "suffrage" of Native Americans (and he wasn't talking about voting rights).
People trying to sound educamated should look up those big words they want to use....
M.
"tramedisly"
The intended word was "tremendously." As the paper is otherwise not terrible, I'm at a loss.
Did we not carry over the thread for student misspellings from the old fora? Sorry if I missed it in the search, but this one was too good:
Student essay today refers to "symbolism" in the first two paragraphs and suddenly changes to "simbolizam" in the third and fourth paragraphs (including a parenthetical citation to the OED that misspells the word). Student goes back to "symbolism" for the works cited entry. The paper is uploaded in Word, which has flagged it as misspelled in every "izam" instance (there are seven).
The other half of the paper discusses irony.
AR.
Quote from: AvidReader on December 05, 2020, 06:43:50 AM
Student essay today refers to "symbolism" in the first two paragraphs and suddenly changes to "simbolizam" in the third and fourth paragraphs (including a parenthetical citation to the OED that misspells the word).
Sounds like a religious cult that's really into iconography. "Followers of Simbolizam"
(emphasis on 2nd syllable)
We did port it over! But it's in teaching (I can merge the threads later): http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=1084.msg21307#msg21307
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on December 05, 2020, 08:16:23 AM
We did port it over! But it's in teaching (I can merge the threads later): http://thefora.org/index.php?topic=1084.msg21307#msg21307
Bother! So sorry, and, yes, please do merge (when you can).
I think most of the students in this class worship Simbolizam, if this grading stack is any indication. Their papers all celebrate it, but none of them are able to articulate its mysteries very well. Definitely a cult.
AR.
Not to worry!
Merger: successful!
Quote from: AvidReader on December 05, 2020, 06:43:50 AM
Did we not carry over the thread for student misspellings from the old fora? Sorry if I missed it in the search, but this one was too good:
Student essay today refers to "symbolism" in the first two paragraphs and suddenly changes to "simbolizam" in the third and fourth paragraphs (including a parenthetical citation to the OED that misspells the word). Student goes back to "symbolism" for the works cited entry. The paper is uploaded in Word, which has flagged it as misspelled in every "izam" instance (there are seven).
The other half of the paper discusses irony.
AR.
I think simbolizam is the Croatian word for symbolism. Is this person Croatian or using Croatian sources?
I have not met this student in person, but given that the student attends high school in my Southern state, I suspect student is not Croatian. I did search the word on Google and it seems to be common in some other Eastern European countries. Maybe the student's spell check did something odd?
It appears maybe five times? The other paragraphs use "symbolism."
The cited source is the OED.
AR.
One of my favorites was when a student submitted a paper on Beethoven, and within its 3 pages the composer's name was spelled 9 different ways!
It flowed very lovelily.
"...could not walk because he was on crushes."
Quote from: downer on November 04, 2021, 06:21:46 AM
It flowed very lovelily.
If describing a lovely stream covered with lily pads, that would actually almost make sense.
Quote from: Aster on November 04, 2021, 07:07:04 AM
"...could not walk because he was on crushes."
Well yes, if you're standing on a surface covered with easily-crushed items you might indeed want to stay put.
Tenant when what is meant is tenet. I see this even at the grad level.
Also weary when wary is meant.
This is what happens when one relies on autocorrect instead of proofreading before printing or uploading the assignment.
Or when Autocorrect goes in by stealth after you think you've checked everything and changes stuff behind your back.
My phone does that when I'm writing in French. I have to double-check everything twice before hitting send on a text because it refuses to 'learn' the words I use often enough that it ought to 'know them' by now.
(I know I could change languages, but finding the place to do that from keeps changing and making me mad..."
M.
Quote from: Harlow2 on November 22, 2021, 09:04:54 AM
Tenant when what is meant is tenet. I see this even at the grad level.
Also weary when wary is meant.
And some have used
weary when
leery is meant, because of the weary=wary misperception.
I haven't gotten this one in a while: tempura instead of tempera. Makes me want sushi while I'm grading.
"very absurb"
Yep.
"post pardon depression" [following childbirth]
Quote from: artalot on December 16, 2021, 08:20:07 AM
I haven't gotten this one in a while: tempura instead of tempera. Makes me want sushi while I'm grading.
Prolly not such a great fresco medium, although I will grant that the batter sticks to the fish.
Quote from: Langue_doc on March 09, 2022, 07:01:13 PM
"post pardon depression" [following childbirth]
So pregnancy = incarceration?
Huh.
Quote from: paultuttle on March 23, 2022, 08:48:26 AM
Quote from: Langue_doc on March 09, 2022, 07:01:13 PM
"post pardon depression" [following childbirth]
So pregnancy = incarceration?
Huh.
For the foetus, anyway. That's why they kick and punch and try to build an annex behind your ribs.
Quote from: mamselle on November 22, 2021, 09:54:17 AM
Or when Autocorrect goes in by stealth after you think you've checked everything and changes stuff behind your back.
My phone does that when I'm writing in French. I have to double-check everything twice before hitting send on a text because it refuses to 'learn' the words I use often enough that it ought to 'know them' by now.
(I know I could change languages, but finding the place to do that from keeps changing and making me mad..."
M.
My phone sometimes inserts a word from <alternate language> in the middle of a text message or switches to the foreign language keyboard on the fly. On my phone, I just have to long-press the spacebar to pop up the language selection menu.
I have informed a few of my frequent correspondents that I will leave some of the autocorrect errors in place for their amusement. That way I can balance the annoyance with some mirth when I'm trying to compose something on my phone.
I'm always worried that, if I did that, the error might turn out to be considered an obscenity in their language...
;--》
M.
I still think it's hard to beat the elementary Spanish student from some years back who turned arroz con pato into arroz con gato.
Oh, no!!!
Poor kitty....
M.
J-walking.
Probably related to canoeing...
I often get students in my (social science) field who write 'martial' for 'marital', or 'birth rate' instead of 'birth weight'.
Last week I got one new to me: "something oblong those lines"
This was in the U.S. News & World Report this morning, not a student paper, but "galavanting" instead of (I presume) "gallivanting."
[Side note: Who knew that the fantasy musical medieval TV show called "Galavant" was so popular? After all, it was canceled after only two seasons . . . .]
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on May 17, 2022, 05:56:57 PM
J-walking.
Probably related to canoeing...
It's walking like they walk in Japan. There was a fad for it awhile back among anime fans in North America. I've got a couple of CDs of J-pop music, but I've never tried J-walking.
I'm grading final 101 papers for summer. I was just breezing through when one stopped me in my tracks: it explained the debate over the evils of global worming.
Since we've been talking about basic new kitty care for Kid #1's little family of barn cats, you can probably imagine that it took me a good deal of head-shaking to figure out what was going on, and a little more time to realize that, no, it wasn't just me misreading the text.
Being the curious type, I couldn't resist, so I ran a "find"--the student misspelled "warming" as "worming" 47 times in a 700-word paper.
I'm gettin' too damn old for this......
Did you search for it online?
Sorry, but, you know...
Could have been plagiarized and they didn't know any better than to let it stand...
M.
Classic example of why you can't trust software to proofread for you. And some folks cannot hear the difference between "worm" and "warm" so it might be a genuine misunderstanding.
But you should also run that through a plagiarism checker.
That explains all the denialism. I'd be a denier too, if I thought an epidemic of worms.
At least they're not confused about it being a Diet of Worms...
M.
Quote from: poiuy on June 17, 2022, 09:26:11 AM
I often get students in my (social science) field who write 'martial' for 'marital'...
Yeah, martial arts isn't the same as marital arts....
Quote from: Stockmann on July 30, 2022, 09:27:10 PM
Yeah, martial arts isn't the same as marital arts....
Sometimes they are, though ...
But that's not what the students meant ...
I was reading about marital duels recently. I first read that as 'martial', but context quickly disabused me of the misreading.
Desecrates (Descartes).
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on December 18, 2022, 01:44:05 PM
Desecrates (Descartes).
Is he Socrates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aitgtJEipRk)' brother?
Quote from: marshwiggle on December 19, 2022, 05:19:21 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on December 18, 2022, 01:44:05 PM
Desecrates (Descartes).
Is he Socrates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aitgtJEipRk)' brother?
Hehe, it's quantum, baby (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5novjw0UbI&ab_channel=kermodeandmayo).
Quote from: marshwiggle on December 19, 2022, 05:19:21 AM
Quote from: Parasaurolophus on December 18, 2022, 01:44:05 PM
Desecrates (Descartes).
Is he Socrates (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aitgtJEipRk)' brother?
Socrates was accused of showing disrespect to the civic cults of classical Athens. Desecrates was actually caught red-handed!
"...our nation has survived many heart ships."
Of course, I explained that "hardships" are probably more appropriate but that "heart ships" are much more poetic.
Doctoral student: tenet spelled as tenant in multiple projects, despite my pointing out the difference.
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on December 19, 2022, 10:24:48 AM
"...our nation has survived many heart ships."
Of course, I explained that "hardships" are probably more appropriate but that "heart ships" are much more poetic.
I recall long ago seeing where somebody had spoken of young love breaking out like "wildflowers" instead of the apparently intended "wildfire." Also more poetic.
Quote from: apl68 on February 27, 2023, 08:03:52 AM
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on December 19, 2022, 10:24:48 AM
"...our nation has survived many heart ships."
Of course, I explained that "hardships" are probably more appropriate but that "heart ships" are much more poetic.
I recall long ago seeing where somebody had spoken of young love breaking out like "wildflowers" instead of the apparently intended "wildfire." Also more poetic.
I may have to write a poem about that.
"2 feet" instead of "tube feet".
The student who wrote that into her group's workbook and got dinged for it received quite the standing raspberry from her peers. Priceless.
"Self-Portraid"
"Self-Protrait"
Not as good as a the "Poortrait" one I had a while ago but still...
"faucets" (facets)
"repour" (rapport) --would not be so bad except that this is a graduate-level psychology course, and this error exemplifies the level of written work I'm currently grading. I'm now going to repour a beverage to get through this next grading batch.
"Repouring" a beverage reminds me of that time I was playing a Scrabble game and my opponent turned "pawned" on the board into "repawned." I thought for a moment. Somebody pawns something, redeems it, then hocks it a second time. It has been "repawned." Okay, sounds fair enough.
The narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" is suffering from Pose Partner Depression.
Quote from: RatGuy on July 18, 2023, 10:03:42 AMThe narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" is suffering from Pose Partner Depression.
When you're forced to do retake after retake because your Pose Partner keeps fidgeting, naturally you're likely to get depressed. If you don't get mad first. If you do get mad first, then you'll probably end up depressed afterward.
Student literary analysis: "The character is as helpless as a Datsun left alone in the woods." Took me a while to realize that she meant "dachshund."
Quote from: RatGuy on November 10, 2023, 08:25:16 AMStudent literary analysis: "The character is as helpless as a Datsun left alone in the woods." Took me a while to realize that she meant "dachshund."
Unless Datsun already has some really good self-driving options in service, one would suppose that a Datsun left alone in the woods would be quite helpless, all right.
I can recall as a child seeing a set of stickers with cartoons of punny cars. There was a furry-looking model called a "Dachsund," and a spooky-looking sedan called a "Boo-ick." Wish I could remember the others. I want to say that there was a "Toy-boata."
Quote from: apl68 on November 10, 2023, 09:03:07 AMQuote from: RatGuy on November 10, 2023, 08:25:16 AMStudent literary analysis: "The character is as helpless as a Datsun left alone in the woods." Took me a while to realize that she meant "dachshund."
Unless Datsun already has some really good self-driving options in service, one would suppose that a Datsun left alone in the woods would be quite helpless, all right.
I can recall as a child seeing a set of stickers with cartoons of punny cars. There was a furry-looking model called a "Dachsund," and a spooky-looking sedan called a "Boo-ick." Wish I could remember the others. I want to say that there was a "Toy-boata."
Were those Wacky Packages? (https://www.antiquetrader.com/pop-culture/vintage-wacky-packages-nostalgic-collectibles-for-adults) They were a series of parody brands.
Quote from: ciao_yall on November 10, 2023, 09:15:34 AMQuote from: apl68 on November 10, 2023, 09:03:07 AMQuote from: RatGuy on November 10, 2023, 08:25:16 AMStudent literary analysis: "The character is as helpless as a Datsun left alone in the woods." Took me a while to realize that she meant "dachshund."
Unless Datsun already has some really good self-driving options in service, one would suppose that a Datsun left alone in the woods would be quite helpless, all right.
I can recall as a child seeing a set of stickers with cartoons of punny cars. There was a furry-looking model called a "Dachsund," and a spooky-looking sedan called a "Boo-ick." Wish I could remember the others. I want to say that there was a "Toy-boata."
Were those Wacky Packages? (https://www.antiquetrader.com/pop-culture/vintage-wacky-packages-nostalgic-collectibles-for-adults) They were a series of parody brands.
Thanks for the link! I'd never heard of "Wacky Packages." Lots of fun with brand names there.
I did some searching this morning, and it turns out it was actually a series called "Funny Cars" from 1976.
https://scottsdalecards.com/1976-itt-c-b-c-funny-cars-lot-16-low-grade/
The doggy car I vaguely recalled was actually a "Hounda." The "Shovrelet" also rings a bell. And that's definitely the "Booick" I remember.
I was pleased to learn about the ethics of Kant's demonology. I suspected as much.
Quote from: downer on December 29, 2023, 07:22:11 AMI was pleased to learn about the ethics of Kant's demonology. I suspected as much.
Kant's demonology was purely theoretical. It was Hegel who took things to the next level by attempting actual exorcisms. Unfortunately in the process he fooled around and helped to release a hugely dangerous demon called Marx.
Quote from: downer on December 29, 2023, 07:22:11 AMI was pleased to learn about the ethics of Kant's demonology. I suspected as much.
As it happens, I'm pretty sure I've seen this reported before.
This is not from a student. Saw it on an apartment ad.
Dogs must get shots from rabbis.
Quote from: Myword on January 06, 2024, 08:09:17 AMThis is not from a student. Saw it on an apartment ad.
Dogs must get shots from rabbis.
Is that how we get kosher dogs (https://www.hebrewnational.com/kosher-beef-franks/beef-franks)?
Quote from: FishProf on January 06, 2024, 08:21:39 AMQuote from: Myword on January 06, 2024, 08:09:17 AMThis is not from a student. Saw it on an apartment ad.
Dogs must get shots from rabbis.
Is that how we get kosher dogs (https://www.hebrewnational.com/kosher-beef-franks/beef-franks)?
Makes perfect sense!
I've read that the rabbis of old were often bi-vocational and practiced a trade as a day job. I guess they could be veterinarians. Wouldn't think dogs would be on the permissible list of animals that they could handle, though.
William Hogwarts
Student meant "William Hogarth"
student was joking, thinking of Harry Potter books.
Some students, I think, are playing dumb--its a joke.
I did this in high school and elementary. Signed my name Marcus Aurelius
and defined a "rod" as Rod Serling.
Teachers frowned on it
Did you know that the plural of "therapy" is "therapy's"? According to a lot of my students, it is.
Quote from: fosca on April 23, 2024, 06:33:55 PMDid you know that the plural of "therapy" is "therapy's"? According to a lot of my students, it is.
I've seen a number of examples of the plural 's. Disturbingly, I've seen it more than a few times on articles published online. There's some poor editorial work going on somewhere. Whenever I see one of these I feel embarrassed for whoever was responsible. It makes them look not entirely literate.