Monday, August 11, 2008

To lose a loose battle in Loos was no loss

My good friend Pete said:

I think to be honest Keith the lose/loose thing is one battle that we're going to lose. Thanks to the internet explosion this spelling error has propagated so quickly and is so prevalent that right or thing I think it's approaching a genuine etymological change.
We have to accept that such change happens (otherwise we'd all still be using Elizabethan spellings) but it still grates my cheddar a bit. I think I decided to give up fighting this one when I saw 'loose' instead of 'lose' in an article on the BBC History Site. When the Beeb can't get it right, it's all over.
Though in fairness I did report it and they did correct it ;)

and then added

Oh dear. I typed 'thing' and meant 'wrong'. Can't you just taste the irony. :)

I can Pete, I can. A loose error like that is easily lost when you are in a hurry and have no time to lose. Actually I think I'm loosing it - it must be time for a glass of wine.

PS Loos was the site of a battle in the First World War which ran from 25 September - 19 October 1915.

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