Failure to Yeild

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August 14th, 2013 · 81 comments

“My spelling skills are a perpetual work in progress,” admits Kelly in Calgary. “When I told my sticky-note-happy coworker about my most recent spelling mistake caught by my boss, she decided to take action.”

related: A personal pet peive

FILED UNDER: blitzkrieg approach · Calgary · i before e · office · smartass · spelling and grammar police

81 responses so far ↓

#1 weed store

dude you know what that dude just needs to chill

Aug 14, 2013 at 12:42 am rating: 10

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#2 Miff

I spell it yield, you spell it yeild, let’s call the whole thing off!

Aug 14, 2013 at 1:23 am rating: 12

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#3 Elle

I’m not gonna lie, the “yeild” in the title of the post makes me twitch like crazy.

Aug 14, 2013 at 2:25 am rating: 56

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- #3.1 kermit
  
  I don’t understand how people can mess up the i-e versus e-i thing.
  
  You spell the word how you pronounce it. Unless you’re one of those people who pronounces “ask” as “ax”, there really shouldn’t be any confusion over vowels. And I say this as a person who learned English as my third language.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 9:39 am rating: 15
- #3.2 Kirsty
  
  Both ie and ei can make the same sound:
  e.g. field and receive have the exact same vowel sound. So if you’re ‘spelling it how you pronounce it’ you still have the choice of two.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:01 am rating: 57
- #3.3 FeatherBlade
  
  Receive always throws me. I have to think of the associated noun form (“reception”) to get the vowels in the right order.
  
  …of course that one does follow the rule, so… >_>;
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:14 am rating: 5
- #3.4 kermit
  
  Kirsty –
  
  Not to me they don’t. They are similar, sure but they definitely don’t make the same sound (either when it’s me speaking or listening).
  
  I suppose the lack of emphasis on proper diction and enunciation is to blame here. My English teacher was extremely strict about instilling this kind of stuff in us. (Think of Henry Higgins type that looked like a woman from the set of “Charlie’s Angels”).
  
  It’s a shame that native English speakers don’t get this.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:06 pm rating: 4
- #3.5 FeRD
  
  Yeah, I have to agree — while it may be true that pronunciation isn’t always sufficient to determine correct spelling (English is nothing if not a giant pile of exceptions), Kirsty’s choices are a terrible example.
  
  The ‘ie’ in “field” or “wield” or “shield” (which all have an “eel” in the middle) sounds nothing like the ‘ei’ in “receive” or “deceive” or “conceive” (which all end in “eave”).
  
  Actually, in the process of fleshing out that previous paragraph, I tripped on a great example (when I initially tried to include it in the second group): believe. It does sound exactly like receive, deceive, and conceive. (And achieve and relieve.)
  
  DAAAMN YOU, ENGLISH! *fistshake*
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 3:03 am rating: 7
- #3.6 redheadwglasses
  
  I before E except after C, except when they sound like A, such as nEIghbor and wEIgh.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 7:43 am rating: 4
- #3.7 Raichu
  
  Actually I think “ie” vs. “ei” is one of the easier mistakes to make in English.
  
  There is always an exception, and this rule has many. The “A” sound thing doesn’t even always work – there’s always “feisty”.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 11:49 am rating: 3
- #3.8 Faina
  
  English is my third language to learn too, and BY FAR the worst in terms of ‘spell it like you pronounce it’. Even something as basic as the words ‘do’ and ‘so’ – shouldn’t those rhyme?
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 11:59 am rating: 8
- #3.9 D.
  
  I may be doing this English thing wrong, but “protein” and “caffeine” don’t have A sounds as far as I know.
  
  Aug 17, 2013 at 6:28 pm rating: 1
- #3.10 kermit
  
  You don’t pronounce “caffeine” with an “a” sound? What do you say instead of the “a”?
  
  Aug 17, 2013 at 7:48 pm rating: 2
- #3.11 L
  
  @kermit: Yeeld, then?
  
  Oh, also.
  
  Weird.
  
  Aug 17, 2013 at 7:50 pm rating: 1
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#4 Lindsay

the ‘i before e’ rule isn’t always true anyway.
Weird!

Aug 14, 2013 at 3:43 am rating: 41

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- #4.1 Lil'
  
  Neither seizure nor leisure follow the rule.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 7:18 am rating: 22
- #4.2 Roto13
  
  I before E, except after C, and also a bunch of other times
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 9:56 am rating: 74
- #4.3 FeatherBlade
  
  I know what it is!
  
  I before E except after C, so long at the word is derived from Latin. All you germano-celtic languages are on your own.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:27 am rating: 22
- #4.4 H for Toy
  
  I always liked Dave Barry’s version:
  
  “I before E, except after C, o’er the ramparts we watched, not excluding joint taxpayers filing singly.”
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:46 am rating: 38
- #4.5 Fae
  
  neighbor and weigh, also!
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:35 am rating: 3
- #4.6 Iwill FindU
  
  I before E except after C would work better if English wasn’t a mesh of other languages that didn’t each have their own rules.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 1:00 pm rating: 12
- #4.7 Conuly
  
  Leisure does if you a. use the “when it says ee” version of the rhyme and b. pronounce it lehzhure.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 1:51 pm rating: 1
- #4.8 The Elf
  
  Absolutely, IwillFindU. But then England wouldn’t be England if it wasn’t a mesh of other cultures that provided those languages.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 2:15 pm rating: 0
- #4.9 funnygirl19
  
  Well Lil’, we’ll just have to start pronouncing them LAY-sure and SAY-zure and force them to conform to the i-before-e rule. Spread the word, the movement starts here.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 4:51 pm rating: 5
- #4.10 Laura
  
  Too many years ago to admit, I learned an entire verse about it:
  
  I before E except after C,
  or when sounded as A in “neighbor” and “weigh.”
  But “their,” “weird,” and “leisure,”
  “foreign,” “seize,” “neither,”
  “leisure,” “forfeit,” and “height”
  are exceptions spelled right.
  
  Which answers most questions, I think!
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 5:25 pm rating: 6
- #4.11 Poltergeist
  
  Kids would respect their language arts teachers so much more if they didn’t bullshit them and actually told the truth – the English language is a free-for-all.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 6:29 pm rating: 14
- #4.12 Jessi
  
  I tried to post this before, but it’s in moderation limbo, so I’m going to try again:
  
  http ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duqlZXiIZqA
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:19 pm rating: 1
- #4.13 Lil'
  
  I’m in, funnygirl. I’m having t-shirts made today.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 8:19 am rating: 1
- #4.14 dabobsta
  
  The WHOLE thing is:
  
  I before E, except after C, WHEN IT RHYMES WITH KEY.
  
  Most people leave off that last bit, then get tied in knots by the exceptions.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 11:39 am rating: 1
- #4.15 Iwill FindU
  
  @ The Elf No I totally get the English language is a mesh, and melting pots cultures are great. But growing up being dyslexic I had a lot of head desk moments when people tried to make it seem as simple as “I before E except C” because that’s clearly not the rule for everything, so don’t try to make it so simple when it’s not, and when I try to apply the “Rule” were it doesn’t work don’t make me feel stupid for missing one of the many exceptions. Gaaa it use to drive me nuts….. and clearly I still have feelings about this. lol
  @dabobsta no one ever told me the rest maybe that would have saved me a little pain and suffering.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 5:19 pm rating: 2
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#5 Poltergeist

YEILD! In the naaame of looooove
Before you break my heaaaart

Aug 14, 2013 at 5:11 am rating: 10

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- #5.1 Dom
  
  FUCK
  Now that song’s in my head for the second time this WEEK
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 5:20 am rating: 16
- #5.2 The Elf
  
  You just need to think it over.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 6:38 am rating: 25
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#6 Bob Roberts

Does the friend know that it’s “blah” and not “bla?”

Aug 14, 2013 at 5:55 am rating: 28

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#7 CG

Maybe the coworker should be working instead of wasting time and office supplies on this joke.

Aug 14, 2013 at 6:25 am rating: 7

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- #7.1 The Elf
  
  All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.
  
  Also, no TV and no beer make Homer something something.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 6:40 am rating: 36
- #7.2 CG
  
  No TV and no beer? Homer would’ve given up.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 7:00 am rating: 0
- #7.3 Jenn
  
  Go crazy?
  
  (CG you screwed it up!)
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:26 am rating: 14
- #7.4 Neeners
  
  Dock them .01 per each sticky, then take the time out of their pay for the amount of ink used/time taken per hour to draw up the sticky. That’s how they do at my workplace.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:48 am rating: 2
- #7.5 Tesselara
  
  Neeners, Your workplace has managed to kill my soul in absentia.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:59 am rating: 34
- #7.6 diogenes
  
  All the attention on this thread is pretty good return on that 9 cent investment
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 7:21 pm rating: 3
- #7.7 Neeners
  
  Tess, that’s academia for ya
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:45 pm rating: 0
- #7.8 FeRD
  
  I dunno, sounds like being “in absentia” is just about the best reason a soul could have to thrive & soar & celebrate, when it comes to that workplace.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 3:08 am rating: 1
- #7.9 redheadwglasses
  
  Homer no function beer well without.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 7:44 am rating: 5
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#8 Tard

Wierd.

… that should bring out the Spelling Nazis!

Aug 14, 2013 at 7:03 am rating: 4

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- #8.1 FeRD
  
  NNNNNNNNOObody expects the Third Riech!
  
  …Sorry, I’ll come in agian.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 3:09 am rating: 8
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#9 H for Toy

I hope in all this I before E nonsense, Richard isn’t forgotten. Kelly, don’t forget to message Richard!

Aug 14, 2013 at 7:28 am rating: 13

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#10 jUstPunkin

I can see some of my coworkers doing the same thing to me, especially since I am the one they come to with spelling questions. I actually think it’s kind of funny, and had I walked into that on my desk, I would have laughed for a while, and then planned my fun payback.

Aug 14, 2013 at 7:35 am rating: 18

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- #10.1 Kelly
  
  The sad thing is she didn’t even wait until I was gone… she just came up behind me and started pasting them to my desk….
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 10:34 am rating: 26
- #10.2 Magie
  
  That’s even funnier!
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 8:30 am rating: 5
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#11 Fireseeker

I totally thought that yield sign was a drawing of a martini glass at first

Aug 14, 2013 at 11:14 am rating: 6

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- #11.1 JT
  
  Ha, so did I.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:24 am rating: 0
- #11.2 jUstPunkin
  
  It’s not?
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 8:08 am rating: 0
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#12 sara

I think the overall atmosphere of the offi e and your relationship w the coworker are factors asto whetherthis would be appropriste or not…..but i thought this was hilarious and cute

Aug 14, 2013 at 11:22 am rating: 4

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#13 FatMan

How were the suggestions recieved?

Aug 14, 2013 at 11:31 am rating: 4

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- #13.1 The Elf
  
  Well, once Kelly yielded to peer pressure.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 5:46 pm rating: 3
- #13.2 Kelly
  
  I thought it was hilarious! Hence, sharing!
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 10:33 am rating: 2
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#14 Neeners

I just got dizzy, for a minute I thought I was on the freeway looking at all those yield signs and then got confused like in school with all the rigmarole about grammatical correction. PTSD starting to kick in.

Aug 14, 2013 at 11:46 am rating: 1

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#15 Pierrette Carriere

i before e except after c – WEIRD

Aug 14, 2013 at 12:15 pm rating: 2

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#16 Belle

One of my co-workers has to be reminded constantly of the ‘i before e’ rule and he makes an effort to comply. Unfortunately he can’t seem to understand that it doesn’t apply to certain words like ‘their’.

Aug 14, 2013 at 12:16 pm rating: 2

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- #16.1 Conuly
  
  It most certainly does apply to those words as well.
  
  I before e, except after c
  OR IN SOUNDING LIKE A as in neighbor or weigh.
  
  That covers “their” nicely.
  
  An alternative version runs
  
  When it says ee
  Then it’s I before e
  But not after c
  
  That version covers their and also keeps people from claiming that words like atheist are exceptions because the ei in those words are said as two separate sounds instead of one sound.
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 1:49 pm rating: 0
- #16.2 Risha
  
  I’m not sure in what conceivable accent “their” has an “a” sound in it. Comedy Southern could give you “thay-err”, I suppose?
  
  Aug 21, 2013 at 8:53 pm rating: 0
- #16.3 sunshynegrll
  
  In Texan, ‘their’ is pronounced ‘they-er’, ‘TV’ is pronounced ‘tay-vayee’, ‘bread’ is pronounced ‘bray-ed’ and so on. I’m not even kidding.
  
  Of course, not ALL Texans speak that way.
  Everyone is always shocked to discover I was born and raised there. “But you don’t have an accent!” Because it sounds ridiculous, that’s why, y’all.
  
  Aug 21, 2013 at 9:00 pm rating: 1
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#17 GrammarDiva

Hey Kelly, give her this page!
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17704386/The-Complete-I-Before-E-Rule-With-Explanations

Aug 14, 2013 at 12:26 pm rating: 1

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- #17.1 Kelly
  
  hahaha done!
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 10:32 am rating: 2
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#18 bob loblaw

Could be worse. You could live in Calgary ………

Aug 14, 2013 at 1:03 pm rating: 9

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- #18.1 Rainlight
  
  That was something my sister and her roommate at university used to say when something had gone wrong. *giggles*
  
  Aug 14, 2013 at 11:07 pm rating: 1
- #18.2 Kelly
  
  Aw boo I happen to like this city a lot! It’s a one of those cities that you need exposure to. It’s got layers, and if you take it at face value or only spend a couple days here, then yeah…
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 10:32 am rating: 3
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#19 Red Delicious

This is why I have extracted myself from the hell that is the office.

Never again do I want to submit myself to the agony of such psychosis and unfathomable stupidity.

Self-employment for the biggest win ever.

Aug 14, 2013 at 2:17 pm rating: 3

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#20 juniper

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, through, lough and through.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.

Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead–it’s said like bed, not bead.
For goodness’s sake, don’t call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat:
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there’s dose and rose and lose–
Just look them up–and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I’ve hardly made a start.

A dreadful language? Man alive,
I’d mastered it when I was five.

-T.S. Watt

Aug 14, 2013 at 3:31 pm rating: 27

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#21 nodo

Learn to spell and put an end to this.

Aug 14, 2013 at 4:03 pm rating: 4

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#22 Rach

What I don’t understand is why people don’t turn on and use spell check? It really works!

Aug 14, 2013 at 8:33 pm rating: 4

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- #22.1 Kelly
  
  Eh, in these cases it was all work done in pen where I fouled up. Hence the work in progress on the in-brain spell check abilities
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 10:35 am rating: 2
- #22.2 Jane
  
  Because to a good speller, spell check is more of a nuisance than a help, eg trying to correct people’s names or British spellings. If I’m unsure of a word, I’ll look it up in a dictionary.
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 2:11 pm rating: 2
- #22.3 Iwill FindU
  
  Also spell check doesn’t always work sometimes you’ll have the wrong word but you’ve spelled it correctly. It doesn’t mean you’ll pick up on a few little letters when you prof read. Or you could be like me, sometimes you’re so far out in left field with the spelling that spell check is like “WTF is this?! English do you speak it?”
  
  Aug 15, 2013 at 5:26 pm rating: 4
- #22.4 Seanette
  
  You mean like this one on wittyprofiles.com: “Awkward moment when…you spell a word so wrong even
  spell check is like ‘I got nothing man’.” ?
  
  Aug 16, 2013 at 2:32 am rating: 3
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#23 Steve

Ima just leave this right here:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:English_words_not_following_the_I_before_E_except_after_C_rule

Aug 14, 2013 at 9:42 pm rating: 2

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- #23.1 AlyInSebby
  
  Ouch! Stop it! That makes my brain shiver!
  
  Aug 16, 2013 at 8:03 pm rating: 0
- #23.2 Conuly
  
  Most of those words DO follow, it, though.
  
  The rule only applies to base words, so any word that is a plural ending in ies doesn’t count as the base word ends in y.
  
  The rule only applies to words where ei or ie is a single phonogram, which cuts out words like “being” or “theist” where the e and the i are two separate phonograms making two separate sounds.
  
  Depending on how the rule is phrased, it either only applies to words where that phonogram says ee or words where that phonogram does NOT say ay. Either way, words like feign are in the clear as well.
  
  Aug 19, 2013 at 11:22 am rating: 0
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#24 Raichu

haha…that seems pretty obnoxious.

Aug 15, 2013 at 11:51 am rating: 0

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#25 Jon Bon Wonton

“I before E, except after C”
Yeah, like “science!”

Aug 23, 2013 at 12:09 pm rating: 0

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