Given that he's probably going to be our next PM, why can't people spell his name correctly?

[EmmaGrundyForPM]

I'm on a number of social media threads, including here on MN, discussing politucs/GE/last night's debate. The number of people who cannot spell Keir Starmer's first name is staggering.

It's four letters. It's not difficult. You don't see people writing Tnoy Blair or Brois Johnson, so why oh why are people writing Kier Starmer.

And before anyone says it's because of the "i before e rule" I've never seen Keith spelled Kieth.

AIBU to think that, if you're going to discuss someone, get their name right. Or should that be thier name?

It's so common in thread titles here that I'm convinced it's some sort of secret code. How else to explain it? Keir Starmer's parents were wasting their time in naming him after a Labour Party leader, if they thought it would mean something to future posters. We'll have to wait and see about the voting classes.

@SpudleyLass I am not a bot, and your accusations are pretty offensive. Please can you link me to the thread I supposedly read/started previously.

I don’t know what that poster is talking about, but you did post on the other thread, about Keir’s name being spelt incorrectly, a few times.

The link is 7 posts below this one ..

This must be part of it. Loads of people over 40 probably remember having to repeat 'i before e except after c' in English classes. It's one of those school day things that sticks in your memory.

Also see Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. 😄

@ItsTheSeasonOfTheSticks and @Blarneytalk fair enough, I'd completely forgotten that thread. It was 6 weeks ago (and I have a menopausal brain) so clearly I had buried it!

I still don't understand why that makes me a bot though. I thought a bot was an AI thing.

Don't worry Kier, we understand!

🤣🤣🤣

YANBU it’s so fucking idiotic he’s in all the papers every day it’s a 4 letter word it’s ridiculous

Punctuation is also in the papers every day, ridiculous that people still don't get it right.

Yes.
Nobody seems to be able to use the semicolon these days.

@TheShellBeach that's 2024 for you!

ninamunteanu.me/2021/02/28/the-semi-colon-is-dead-long-live-the-semi-colon/#:~:text=These%20days%2C%20people%20often%20replace

I don’t know where the bot thing comes from. I think some people’s reaction to something they don’t like is to scream ‘bot’. I wouldn’t worry about it.

I feel ya with the menopause brain. 😭

People use online forums like texting though don’t they? They regularly omit punctuation. Try it, it’s liberating 😀

What about the comma splice?

If they can remember his name and pronounce it that's something.
The MIL has referred to him more than once as "Kazakh-Stan"
😆