Is there a way (a macro perhaps?) to change the spellings and punctuation in a Microsoft Word document (.docx) from "American" style to "British" (or should I say, 'British') style in one fell swoop?
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posted by dhens
on Mar 11, 2013 -
7 answers
What resources would you recommend for an adult who is a native English speaker who nonetheless struggles with grammar and spelling? I'm asking on the behalf of my boyfriend, who dropped out of middle school, and is also dyslexic. He asked if I had a book or website to recommend, but most of what I could find is geared towards kids or people learning English as a second language. He already feels insecure about all this, so recommending an ESL book seems really patronizing. He even acts sheepish asking me about grammar or how to spell something, so something he can pursue on his own would be ideal (even though I'm happy to help and don't judge him whatsoever).
posted by anonymous
on Jan 31, 2013 -
14 answers
In a story I'm writing, one character (an old lady) blows a raspberry at another character at the very end of a scene. I'd like to indicate this sound as a direct quote. What's the proper way to spell this?
posted by mochapickle
on Oct 5, 2012 -
28 answers
Looking for new ways to learn to spell specific words. and possibly to make it sink into my head when you use "then" vs "than".
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posted by royalsong
on Sep 11, 2012 -
16 answers
I am finding lately that as I type things in a hurry I'm increasingly misspelling common words. Is there a name for this oddity? Examples inside.
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posted by sherlockt
on Aug 27, 2012 -
13 answers
Is there any evidence that literacy (particularly spelling) standards of attainment have dropped in recent times, in the Anglosphere?
Looking for citable evidence only.
posted by wilful
on Jul 2, 2012 -
8 answers
Do we cry over spilt milk or spilled milk? My spell checker says the latter but I remember the former.
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posted by patheral
on May 9, 2012 -
31 answers
I'm organizing a Star Wars themed spelling bee. I need as many hard to spell Star Wars words as possible. They can be nouns, etc. It's a fun event, and we are not following strict rules about it. Already have "Kashyyyk" and "Sarlaac" and "wookiee".
posted by Sully
on Apr 12, 2012 -
23 answers
How do you teach a 6-year old to recognize vowels in the middle of a word? Ask him to spell 'bed' out loud and he will say 'b-a-d.' Ask him to write 'bed' and he will write 'b-a-d.' Yet if he reads 'bed' out loud, he will say it correctly and he knows what it is. Any tools or techniques that will help him learn?
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posted by Soda-Da
on Oct 26, 2011 -
23 answers
An American friend tells me that Lego is commonly referred to as "Legos" in the States. Is this true?
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posted by bicyclefish
on Oct 7, 2011 -
128 answers
I can't find a definitive answer on the use of 'post' as a prefix. In particular with 'post approval' meaning 'after approval'.
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posted by unliteral
on May 30, 2011 -
17 answers
Slight misspelling of bank's name on my car title - pursue fix or let it go?
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posted by amtho
on Jan 5, 2011 -
12 answers
Any Latin scholars out there? I'm getting a tattoo and just want to make sure it means what I think it means... Quo vadimus
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 30, 2010 -
10 answers
Is there such a thing as an "advanced" spelling and grammar program for Microsoft Word or WordPerfect? Bonus points if it is designed for the legal world.
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posted by 2legit2quit
on Jul 25, 2010 -
14 answers
Do internet-people spell "whoa" incorrectly on purpose (as "woah"), in the same way people use "teh" and "!!!1!!1" - fake typos used to imply something?
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posted by tristeza
on Jul 12, 2010 -
56 answers
Where can I watch the Scripps Spelling Bee in the DC area? I don't have a TV, so am looking for a bar or something that will be showing it.
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posted by sa3z
on Jun 3, 2010 -
5 answers
A job I recently applied for responded to me with a questionnaire about my experience in certain areas. After filling out the questionnaire and emailing it back to the company's HR Rep I realized I misspelled a fairly common word, it was a stupid typo I somehow missed. I've been beating myself up over this, wondering what to do. Send an email with a new corrected copy? Ignore it? Let them know I found the mistake and apologize?
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posted by anonymous
on Mar 7, 2010 -
14 answers
I guess I know too many Saras and Sarahs, Teresas and Theresas, etc., because I find myself having a hard time remembering who spells their name which way. I know that people can become annoyed when their name is spelled incorrectly, so I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions for how to remember the correct spelling when someone has a common name with multiple possible spellings, without having to consult an address book every time I want to write or type their names. Thanks.
posted by Balonious Assault
on Nov 12, 2009 -
14 answers
Please hope me with this seemingly-basic English grammar/spelling question! Which is correct: "long-sleeve t-shirt" or "long-sleeved t-shirt"? Is there supposed to be a hyphen between "long" and "sleeve(d)?
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posted by radioamy
on Oct 2, 2009 -
38 answers
Spelling filter:
Which is correct? "Dominoes" or "dominos"?
Or is this one of those words that can be spelt either way?
Is one correct, and the other just a result of a mispelt brand of pizza delivery? (or is that mispelled...now I'm second guessing everything!!!)
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posted by robotot
on Sep 8, 2009 -
16 answers
Spelling question involving names of people from Burma. (Or Myanmar, if you prefer dictatorial nomenclature.)
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posted by hazelshade
on May 7, 2009 -
8 answers
What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better?
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posted by Bageena
on Jan 28, 2009 -
24 answers
Why do I keep accidently typing homonyms instead of the actual word I meant? e.g. Pear instead of Pair. Sometimes it gets worse and I write things which share even less in common like pardon and person.
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posted by public
on Jan 3, 2009 -
17 answers
Can you recommend any good print editions of Shakespeare in non-modernized orthography, priced for regular folks (not university libraries)?
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posted by No-sword
on Dec 22, 2008 -
13 answers
One of my neighbours has asked me for some advice and I'm pretty dumbfounded. A senior (~80yo) that she knows has said that he'd like to learn to write and spell, but she has no clue where to start. So, what resources are out there that could be of help?
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posted by CKmtl
on Dec 7, 2008 -
5 answers
Is there a way to make ArcGIS spell -meter like a Canadian? For example, inserting scale text pops out -meter, but I'd like to see -metre and sometimes -mètre. I know that I can subsequently convert these to graphics and edit the text from there, but is there any way to skip this step entirely by changing language or spelling settings within the program? Altering my XP language/international settings didn't do anything. Thanks in advance!
posted by avocet
on Oct 29, 2008 -
3 answers
In French, the singular of eye is "oiel" and the plural is "yeux." Are there any nouns in English that have completely different spellings of the singular and plural like this?
posted by Crosius
on Sep 26, 2008 -
27 answers
LOLcats teach us that cats can write, they just don't have very good spelling or grammar. The same idea has been used in advertising ("Eat Mor Chikin") and of course Far Side cartoons. Was Gary Larson the father of this concept, or were there other places where it was pervasive before he came along?
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posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg
on Aug 4, 2007 -
24 answers
What is the plural of "no"? Example: You have to hear a hundred "nos" for every yes.
What is the proper way to write "nos"?
posted by dzot
on Jul 13, 2007 -
71 answers
LanguageFilter: Why does everyone spell Michael wrong (ie. put the e and the a the wrong way round)?
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posted by ranglin
on May 21, 2007 -
71 answers
