I corrected a typo on a whiteboard at school today - WIBU?

[clary]

We were looking round the fancy new school buildings at my kids' school tonight and there was some teacher writing on a board which included the word "barbeque" [sic]

I was able dextrously to doctor the q to make it a c. I hope this was in order. I also hope the teacher notices

It makes perfect sense phonetically. Or at least as much sense as many other words in our opaque orthography.

'q' can be a spelling of the sound /k/.
'ue' is a fairly common spelling of the sound /y+oo/

'que' as a whole is more commonly a spelling of the sound /k/ in English, but it's far from the only grapheme with more than one pronunciation.

I really don't get these convoluted and tenuous attempts to justify it. It's just a crap spelling.

I mean can't you see that 'cue' is better?

I would spell it with 'cue'. But is is wrong to say that it isn't phonetic when spelt 'barbeque'. It is using what we know about English spelling.

No, I really disagree. If that were the case we would pronounce it 'barbeck' because that's how you pronounce 'cheque'.

I don't know of any other precedents for the use of 'eque' in the English language that sound like 'ecue'. Can you think of any?

Anastasie you're funny! You should go on the stage with that act.

"Pointlessly Cross Pedant Rants" I'd pay to laugh at that!

OP - stones and glasshouses? I thought "dextrously" as per OP was spelt "dexterously". And I'm with those who say either spelling of this cooking method, or equipment for it, is proper.

That Skitt's Law is a bugger, for sure...

Anastasie sorry but you sound unbearable. I hope you are joking.

We are lucky to have such a rich language. And our propensity to borrow from other languages is one of the main contributors to the ubiquity of English, for which I am grateful.

Ha! It would be funny if it weren't so tragic, and if I weren't completely serious!

Borrowing from other languages, fine

Appropriating words from other languages, also fine

This is a word which we have had the temerity to borrow and then destroy by our own misspelling, and it's rude apart from anything else.

There is a rich language and there is a fucked up language.

And on that note.

That's not really how phonics works though, Anastasie. If we followed that line of thought I think we might have to decide that segway is a better spelling for segue. Or that we need to get rid of the spelling 'two'.

It was you who said it was 'using what we know about English spelling' - you can't really have it both ways.

Plus there isn't an alternative spelling for two.

I'm criticising an adjuvant spelling, not a unique one.

will the teacher know it's you OP? I'd die if so! sorry, not helpful.

I was asked to speak to the teacher one morning and another mother also a teacher herself interrupted us blathering on about something in the Irish langauge, "I noticed you used the verb blah instead of the verb blah, when I'm teaching myself I always suggest the use of blah blah blah" (couldn't tell you what she actually said, it was meaningless) and after she'd left the teacher couldn't help but roll her eyes. I think they did several laps of the back of her head. I saw it. I laughed. Teacher blushed. A bit.

I was able dextrously to doctor the...

That sounds wrong.

Dextrous is fine

Unique is another one where you don't pronounce the u after the q. There are many examples of this.

2 is an alternative spelling of two - stop the with narrow minded idea that there are only 26 letters...

I was able dextrously to doctor

I think the issue is splitting "was able" from "to doctor". That and a misspelled word (dexterously, from the Latin meaning right hand. See also "sinister", which if you are being really pedantic is a left-handist insult). However, I also agree with PP that there is no need to impose Latin structures on English so whether or not it was an infinitive, it wouldn't matter if you split it. (Though I like to be aware when I'm doing that, and think about the effect it creates).

OP I like discussing spelling and grammar but the trouble with correcting somebody is that it's better if you get it right or if at the very least you're prepared to admit that you were wrong. Declaring things are not up for discussion is, IMO, a really shit teaching method.

Nothing wrong with barbeque. Even if there were, it was unreasonable to alter it.

Doesn't mean I don't get an enormous sense of satisfaction from circling errors in school letters before throwing them out, though.

You are not only unreasonable, but a bit of an idiot.

Oh no. You do realise, you are "that" parent.

Well it sets a dangerous precedent. Do you want your children to read every 'que' ending to rhyme with 'cue'?

Discothecue

Unicue

Physicue

Clicue

Oblicue

Mysticue

Clicue

Technicue

Bouticue

Anticue

I still read it every time as 'barbeck'. I can't help it.

two clicues there forgive me i'm eating pizza.