Corrections To Blog Post Bloops - Causes And Cures

 

Angela Lansbury looking shocked. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury.

 

Corrections To Computer Errors And Mobile Mishaps

I come back to my blog post in the morning and find a missing gap between words or a typo. That's because I have composed or added to my post on a phone. The keys are close together o a phone. Also I am tired last thing at night - or early morning. And I rush off to bed, without yet another correction making an even later night, which would mean being tired next day resulting in more errors. 

Tut-tut. Never mind. I've now corrected the missing gap in the headline. I had run two words together, like the way the German language connects short words to make a new long word. 

Spell Correctors

What else causes my typos? Those changes made by the automatic spell corrector which turns foreign words and names into commonly used English words. I can usually guess whether it was my error or the computer software's misplaced enthusiasm to be helpful. Ironically, I have to re-read and correct the automatic corrections.

Mixxed Messages Spelling Spilling Spoiling! 

A woman wrote an email to my husband, ending that she was looking forward to receiving a massage from him. Reading back, seeing the repeated mis-spelling, it was obvious that she meant message.

Tongue Twister

I just made up this tongue twister.

Where would I wear it, were I to wear it?

If I were is not the same as if I was. Was is past singular. I am. I was. Were is plural or future. 'Was I to wear it' is a question, about the past intention. 'Were I to wear it' is the hypothetical future.  

Popular Poem

For your amusement, Wikipedia lists popular poems about common spelling errors.

Useful Website

https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Spell_checker

Posting From A mobile phone

Problem
When I post from my mobile phone, my fingers often hit adjacent keys. Even worse if I am in a moving vehicle such as a taxi, a cab, a shuttle bus or a boat.

Typos
If you are on the move and only get back to your laptop hours later or even days later, it can be embarrassing to see the nonsense you have written which other people have read.

An alternative is to write a draft and save it, then come back to it later and correct the typos.

Photos
If necessary you can edit the photos and re-load the edited version.

Pleasure
However, it is so much easier to post on the move. You have a chance to check the spelling of the name of the hotel or restaurant whilst you are still there, pick up the restaurant card or ask a member of staff, or check the name over the door or on the menu or photograph it and copy it.

Is it McDonalds or MacDonalds?

McDonalds McFlurry. Photo by Angela Lansbury. copyright.

Problem
The confusion occurs because there's a big Mac.

Answer
It's actually McDonalds. Saves you time when typing, only one a. The clue should be in the word McFlurry. You can say Mc-something or other. But mc on its own is hard to say. A big mc doesn't work. So they decided on Big Mac.

Oops! It's easy to make a mistake. In my title I had MadDonalds! Doesn't typing and spell-checking drive you mad. Enough to make you want to eat a McDonalds.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

How To Make Or Buy An English-Style Crumpet - Photo by Trevor Sharot

Home Made Crumpet With Melting Butter and photo by Trevor Sharot, photographer. Copyright Trevor Sharot.

Problem
How do you make the holes in crumpets? Where should I cook them? This has puzzled us for years. Trevor, who is a keen cook, sent me a photo of a ciabatta he had made. I had just read about crumpets. I complimented him on his expertise in making the ciabatta and asked him, "Could you make a crumpet?

Answer
When I set my husband, Trevor Sharot, this task, I knew he could do it. He can do anything. His major skill is research. He is also very practical. He prefers maths to English, because you can get 100% in a maths exam. He is good at research and also practical, a good combination of qualities.

You can see we are different types by the way we write. I would say, "It tastes delicious, yummy, the butter melts into the holes, it is soft on the inside and crisp on the edges and chewable."

He said:

'The holes are due to the raising agents. I used every available raising agent, yeast and baking powder."

So baking powder had the power. (I got that nice bit of alliteration from a typo. This proves there's a silver lining in every cloud.)

Ingredients
Flour
milk
water
a little butter
raising agents: yeast and baking powder

The sequence is

 batter after raising for a couple of hours

3 tbsp of batter in the ring

after the 10 minutes cooking

flipped over to show the base and for another 5 minutes upside down

flipped back when done

cross-section

Where to buy

Crumpets are made in the UK by Wharburtons. You can buy crumpets in supermarkets such as Tescos. Or chat to your friendly home baker, or make your own.

Author

Angela Lansbury

Travel writer and phtographer

Author and speaker

Interesting websites:

Trevor Sharot photographer 
http://trevorsharotphotography.com
http://grapedeal.com
http://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/crumbs-so-thats-how-british-make.html