A character in the book I am reading just cut a 'slither' of cake. WTF???

[IHeartKingThistle]

I'm seeing this everywhere. Has the word sliver just disappeared?

How on earth could a slither of cake possibly ever make sense? It's making me feel all cross.

Perhaps it was cut in the shape of a snake.

This drives me fucking demented.

I've noticed the sliver/slither confusion extending to slaver/slather in recent years.

I agree, I hate this word too. I've just checked an online dictionary and the old fashioned Oxford Concise dictionary and neither of them recognise the word slither as being a slice of something.

No, copyeditor and proofreader were rushed or asleep.

That is, I hate the word in this context. As far as I know, slither and sliver are not interchangeable.

'Slither' is a perfectly good word. A verb. 'Sliver' is a totally different word. A noun.

ooh, I just stumbled across this in active conversations and posted, and have only just realised that I am in pedants corner. I feel I have found my natural home!

treacle, they are two different words. Many people imagine 'slither' is a more educated way of pronouncing 'sliver'. because they are fucking idiots

I was pretty sure, as sure as I could possibly be, that they were two totally different words, but I felt the need to write 'as far as I know' because I have been ripped to shreds on MN so many times in the past and told that I am talking through my arse .

Haha! Mumsnet at its finest! x

Oh good, not just me then! It just so clearly makes NO SENSE.

Yettish I bet that's exactly what it is; that hadn't occurred to me!

Treacle, stay in Pedant's Corner - we promise not to comment on your arse .

DH says this.

It makes me all ragey.

What book was it?

omg i would need to stab someone if i actually read this in a book

A newish novel I picked up in the library - 'Homecoming' I think. Not loving it and the whole 'slither' debacle isn't helping!

Hissssss

SimoneDeBeaver - proofreader has probably been made redundant because everyone thinks they can get by without one these days.

Really? Why?

Well, I don't know any big publishers who still employ proofreaders full-time. They've all used freelancers for years.

But as so many books are now cheaper than magazines to buy/download, the margins must be more and more squeezed, and so I suppose the pressure is on to cut corners.

However, I would bet good money in this case that it was just missed.

I rather like the idea of a slither of cake.

They missed it TWICE! To be honest there is a stupid amount of cake in this book considering it's about sheep farming

I love my Kindle but I get extremely apoplectic at the spelling errors and the use of would of etc. It seems there are no professional proof readers anymore .

I say slither of cake quite often.

Slither? Seriously? Wrong word. The character should eat the whole of the cake, sod the others.