Wordsmithing.

The nice thing about being naturally attracted to wordplay, and having an extensive enough vocabulary -- in reading and use, if not in verbal conversation -- is that you eventually develop an intimate familiarity with words, many of them.

Then, when you come across a misspelling, or a mispronunciation, while bothersome, you can often place the proper word in context, if you're so inclined, and extend the benefit of doubt to the writer, or the speaker.

For example, if someone mistypes they're for their, or a similar mistake, you might think: slow down. quick typing. proofread and edit before printing.

But if the same writer continues making that mistake, or a continued misspelling (like me with "marriage" say), you generally can assume they're unsure exactly how to spell it correctly, by habit.

Which is a very long way of bringing us around to this post. Read it -- the shrill criticism, the stinging laughter "Yu SOOOO Stupet!" in the comments, and tell me if you think the writer was familiar with the (actual) word "unadulterated" before she wrote the post.

I'm guessing ... not. If, like me, you were familiar with that one, wouldn't you just assume a misspeaking and place the proper word there in context? I think ya would... No harm, no foul, simply read -- or converse -- on. Heavens know, you wouldn't waste time actually GOOGLING for the meaning of the mispronunciation, or misspelling, would you?*

but, if one was unfamiliar with the word being grasped at (and if pronounced properly, clearly it was the correct word in context), then your laughter might be more pronounced thinking your verbal sparring partner was simply making up words out of the blue...

I think somebody ought to consider buying their stay-at-home loved ones a big-boy dictionary this Christmas, expanding that vocabulary and all. I mean, if you're going to have a mixed-class marriage, and you're taking a former "commoner" into educated circles, it might help if he, and you too for guidance purposes, were able to understand what others are talking about, even if they sometimes misspeak and misspell.

Nothing personal. Just sayin'...

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*(and if you found something ... harsh there, in your Internet search, would you tie that mispronunciation or misspelling with the clearly wrong word? Only if it was blogs sweepstakes month, I think, where you're trying to attract new eyeballs and cajole them to hit your Internet site, to compensate your "writing" and supplement your income and need for more Christmas gifts. Go on, click that link and help 'em out. A good dictionary, afterall -- hard copy, not online -- ought to be found in every home where the non-wordy are striving for better... Especially if they have media ambitions as a ... second/replacement career.)