Advance apologies - a spelling one!

[TheListingAttic]

Okay, I'm being one of those posters, and am thereby effectively basting myself and willingly stepping onto the grill for a flaming.

But: when did this "ect" business start?! Every third post I read these days is "ect" this and "ect" that. It's "etc", people! E-T-C! For "et cetera"! I'm developing a nervous twitch every time I see it, and am actually going to pop before too long.

I'm done. Unleash the pedant-strength flame throwers.

In return, I am being one of those posters who scours the original post for spelling or grammar mistakes, as if that negates the entire post.

I am also checking my own post very carefully.

I think the comma between "...posters, and am..." is superfluous. The same charge applies to the comma between "...I see it, and am...". However, I accept that use of commas in these locations may be regarded as stylistic (I still don't like them though).

"Flamethrower" is one word.

More seriously, "ect" is annoying. Perhaps I don't find it quite so tiresome as you though.

I haven't noticed 'ect' being used in place of 'etc.'

Are you sure they aren't just indicating that they're clearing their throat in a ladylike manner?

I know what you mean!

I have been wondering if it's a strange auto-correction, changing etc to ect for no reason whatsoever.

It's a very natural typo, though, isn't it?

There are some words that I type incorrectly but that's down to my fingers going off in a different tangent to my brain. 'From' always ends up as 'form'.

You mean The Oxford Comma?

I have noticed this too OP. YANBU.

I'm with you op and also agree about the commas

MaidOfStars and others: I'll give you "flamethrower" as one word, but you shall not take my Oxford commas!

People put ect because they think that is correct. Like they use que for cue (as in "cue me ranting about poor written language skills"). Or put apostrophe's after word's to turn them into plural's.

I work with several people who are guilty of all of the above and more. It gives me the rage. I work in an educational setting and some of the things I see appall me. I point it out to.

Argh too.

I might be pedantic but apparently I cannot use autocorrect on this phone.

Oh, I love an Oxford comma. I think they're rather stylish.

I also prefer "&c." to "etc" (or indeed "ect").

Ooh I love a good debate about the Oxford comma

(Unfortunate lack of capitalisation for an image about grammar, but I think the point still stands.)

I've just used an Oxford comma at work, I love an Oxford comma .

"&c" is indeed very elegant and I'm going to adopt that.

"ect" is very depressing. I don't think it's just a typo...

Why is flamethrower a single word but ect as an abbreviation for et cetera invalid? flame thrower was two words until really very recent times:

books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=flame+thrower%2Cflamethrower&year_start=1900&year_end=2000&corpus=15&smoothing=3&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cflame%20thrower%3B%2Cc0%3B.t1%3B%2Cflamethrower%3B%2Cc0

Language changes, etc is pretty new (&c was the original abbreviation I believe, but the corpuses aren't very good at reporting that) maybe ect is the new spelling.

Thank you, GreyGardens.

[preens]

I was once accused (by e-mail, to several colleagues including my line manager) of making some "typo's" [sic]. That was a happy day. I was very, very restrained...

I actually can't see a difference in the way the words etc and ect look as in dyslexic and letters insist of doing an elaborate dance/game of hide and seek when I look at them.

I would like to congratulate you for having so few concerns in your life that you find time to concern yourself regarding other people's spelling.

Fred because etc. is an abbreviation of et cetera. Not ectterea.

Actually, manchestermummy, 'typo's' is correct because an apostrophe indicates one missing letter or more.

As far as 'ect' is concerned (which I found hard to type like that), people type that because they just do not know where it came from so do not know how to spell it. Yes, it's from Latin for 'and the rest' - et (and) c etera (the rest or the others). Please take it on board, those who have now learned.

I have managed to make a career out of correcting people's spelling. It's sort of like being a criminal barrister.

not all abbreviations have to be built up of one word followed by the first letter cwt for example doesn't follow that pattern for latin originated abbreviations. And viz. includes a letter not even in the original.

I'm in a similar profession Editthis .

Fred I don't understand your posts, sorry. Are you asking why "ect" (sic) is not valid as an abbreviation for et cetera, or do you mean "etc"?