Frequently misspelled words in vintage auctions...

C

cherry-pie-and-roses

Registered Guest
How about an ongoing thread? Here's my first submission (one I made for years and years-blushing):

<b>Cummerbund</b> often seen as c-u-m-b-e-r-b-u-n-d

<b>selvage</b> as s-a-l-v-a-g-e (selvedge is the second preferred spelling by Webster's)

Others?

Brenda
 
Actually some words (definitely NOT 'sequence'!) are acceptable spelled several ways.

I think some may be the difference between the UK/Cdn
spelling and the US spelling.

Both correct:

cummerbund, cumberbund

check, cheque

color, colour

neighbor, neighbour

...and, although mannequin IS the correct spelling, 'mannikin'
is now accepted too.

There are a lot more that fall into this rather deep hole...
the 'fun' of the English language.

Sue:)
 
Ah....yes, I prefer the European "catalogue" to the American "catalog" and others too.

Perhaps my OP should've said 'for the American/English language.'

In the US, the words "mannikin" and "manikin" mean little man, dwarf, or pygmy as the first definition.

Bren
 
If I have a "Gray" handbag I make sure it is also spelled "Grey" in the description (as both are correct) so my european customers can find the color they are looking for as well.

Military/Miliatary

Glamourous/Glamorous is another one folks can't decide on it seems. does it depend on what side of the pond you are on?

I see cheongsam (correct) spelled choengsam
epulets - epaulets (correct) (not as commong but happens)

chris
 
every time i run across a listing that mentions "umpire waist", the tune "take me out to the ballgame" starts playing in my head. i'm sure they mean "empire waist".

carol
 
Swade = Suede

I kid you not - I've seen it more than once.

Cordoroy or Curdaroy = Corduroy

I'm sure I've seen more, but the escape me at the moment.
 
Yep on the 'swade'...I think that is more common than the correct spelling.

Sue:)
 
ok..this is not one that is found in listings, and I am nit-picking on this,
but here in Canada we say "crap" (as in 'poo'), I see many others
writing 'carp' (which here is a fish)....I never know if they really mean
'oh fish' or if they are spelling it wrong and really mean 'oh poo'

Sue:)
 
I listed a Van Raalte slip one time as Van Ralte. It was snatched up quickly for pennies.:( (I think I'm right on that spelling now!:P)
 
Oh, yeah, I see hugh a lot - not Hugh in my Sunday School class -
but h-u-g-h for "really big." Well, Hugh is about 6'7", but we're still not talking about him.

Bren

Oh, and I didn't know that about 'weskit' - I didn't know what a weskit was until my grandmother mentioned one I had made. I thought I had made a vest.

And our dictionary says weskit is phonetic for waistcoat, so that must be another British word that isn't pronounced like it's spelled. Like Worcester (Wooster), for example.
 
well sue, i think people say "carp" because they might not think "crap" is a very ladylike word to use...so its kinda like fudge or frick or frig (although on that last one they can also be meaning the USS Constitution (or as my grandfather coined one day "slapdoodle!")
 
Good point Chris..and you are probably right. Hee, I must be a trash mouth, cause I never thought of 'crap' as being
that bad :), but since the guy who invented the toilet's name was 'Crapper' (I think, if I remember my trivia), I guess it
could be construed as not very nice.

Sue:)
 
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