Ect / Etc

[JoWithABow]

Why do so many people (on mumsnet especially) write ect rather than etc? Am I missing something?

Could it be a typo?

I've no idea, but I find it dementing.

I think they pronounce it ek setera so ECseTera is the shortening?

I think they just think it's correct, or never did Latin at school

It drives me mad every single time I see it. I don't know why people don't notice the correct spelling whenever they see it in print. I think the reason is that it just looks a more likely combination of letters if you don't know the full phrase.

I always remember how it's spelt because when I was in the first year of Comp, 37 years ago, a boy reading out in class said e t c and the teacher corrected him.

because they think it's 'ek setera' which is how a lot of people say it.

• maybe they didn't read as much as you did or did not learn any Latin or other languages as children? - I don't think this is very important tbh in the greater scheme of things

I think ect looks like it might be a word and when you say et cetera, they may think it's the second 't' that you use.
Yes it bugs me too. It's all over FB too.

I would of marked this with an asterix but I am not pendantic

Yep I think they think it's Et Ce Tera

Drives me nuts.

maybe they didn't read as much as you did or did not learn any Latin or other languages as children? - I don't think this is very important tbh in the greater scheme of things

I ttoally agrrre. How nedds to speel porppurly anywayz? Soo lats senchery.

Anneofcleavage I wondered that but then so many people do it. And wouldn't auto correct correct it?

PrettyLittleBrownEyedMe exactly, surely people see it in print all the time, how have they gone through life not noticing?

Gah! I'm glad I'm not alone in finding it highly irritating!

I think it's usually just a typo.

Totally pisses me off. I teach secondary and see if I’m the kids work too. I highlight it as a duelling mistake and they don’t get it 😡😡😡

not really Senua, but it's just a certain kind of person that thinks a spelling error is all that important, outside of school/university.
Some people are dyslexic or don't find spelling easy - they are not writing dissertations they are composing eg Fb posts.Maybe they are good at other things.
Perhaps they shouldn't write at all for fear of small minded pedants..?

maybe they didn't read as much as you did or did not learn any Latin or other languages as children? - I don't think this is very important tbh in the greater scheme of things

This is pedants' corner for pedants and where it is OK to sweat the small stuff.

*it in

*spelling

Bloody phone!

I've never noticed this. It's probably a typo.

I don't think you need to have learnt Latin at school to know how to write it either, it's 3 letters. And it may be Latin but it's commonly used in English now so you'd not necessarily know that.

It just surprises me how many posts I see on here with it mistyped, it's not just the odd person.

I don't know why people don't notice the correct spelling whenever they see it in print

I don’t either, but they don’t. See ‘draw’ for ‘drawer’ sometimes in the same post.

DullAndOld, I kind of get what you are saying but I have specifically trawled through the topics to find pedants corner in order to post this. Of course there are many more important things in life but sometimes it's nice to have a little rage about something trivial don't you think?

Tbh i'd have thought with your user name Pedants Corner would have been the kind of place you'd like to hang out?

Oooooh. This annoys me so much. I see it more of FB than MN. I don’t think it is a typo, I just think people don’t know the correct ‘spelling’.

Lol I have done my time in Pedants' Corner , have had to with a name like this = however since having a lovely bright dyslexic daughter who invents her own spelling...I have changed my mind about things..

Sanity good you are correcting the next generation, they need to be told! I recon you should give them 1000 lines of et cetera if they fail to buck up their ideas.