I checked my emails this morning and found I have a “badge” on Tripadvisor. I am now, after giving five restaurant reviews in three years, a man who deserves a badge for reviewing restaurants. It doesn’t seem fair, as I only go on there to complain. The companies in question never reply to complaints any more, assuming they will even let you find their skillfully concealed contact details, so I started going on review sites. They don’t want to hear my (normally) useful advice on faults in service? Well they can see it on a website along with the other 1,000 people who have read my reviews.
I am just putting my finishing touches to the letter telling the hospital that I was very happy with the way things went on Wednesday, and am also very happy with my treatment in Rheumatology over the last five years. I do that sometimes, you know. I think you should do if you are going to tell them when they are bad. I’m not sure how much good it does, but it’s what I do.
Two sizes of wheatsheaf loaf
The spellchecker just hit a new low. I thought haibun/halibut was bad, but their suggestion for Rheumatology is Hematology. Not only a useless suggestion, but a completely different medical speciality and has the added bonus of a possible medical malpractice suit thrown in. Of course, it doesn’t like speciality either, but as it spells Haemarology incorrectly, what would you expect?
I was checking on the diversity of English spelling earlier in the week and the American writing the article sought to justify his argument by citing the spelling of Shakespeare. I think we all know that he’s not a great guide to orthography. Fifty years after Shakespeare someone (I can’t find the exact reference) was still making the point that it was boring to spell words i exactly the same way all the way through a book. The words of William Shakespeare, mellifluous as they may be, are spelt all sorts of ways There are six known and authenticated signatures of Shakespeare, and his surname is spelt, by the man himself, in five different ways. None of them, incidentally, is Shakespeare. Strangely, in highlighting spelt, it has revealed it knows little about spelt, the ancient wheat species. It doesn’t recognise emmer either. Talking of which, the corn in the title is British corn – cereal. Not maize, which is called corn in America. It’s very difficult being bilingual in two sorts of English.
Poppies in wheat field
It’s funny how in Maine we often use older spellings for words such as “rooves” and “spelt.”
It’s a real minefield. I always spelt it as roofs even though I say rooves. To be fair, my spelling isn’t great, which is why I check a lot of things. 🙂
Same! Funny how we can love words yet not be good at spelling.
I agree entirely. If you don’t give positive (or negative) responses how can the opposite be believed?
🙂 A useful philosophical point to bear in mind.
My cell phone has a keyboard so small I find it difficult to use. Therefore I use “Voice to Text” and dictate my messages. One day I will publish some of them. Australian Voice being cleverly turned into American English. There you go – three contradictory terms in one sentence.
I look forward to it. There will, I’m sure, be some interesting results.
Emmer grain is a new one to me. Another new thing I have learned here!
Well deserved praise mixed in with the well deserved complaints is always a good balanced policy, and makes the reviews more meaningful. 🙂
I remember your wheatsheaf loaf decorations. They are beautifully made and the mouse was a nice touch.
We used spelt in the bread classes once in a while but it is lower in gluten and quite difficult to get a good result.- denser than wheat bread, and you need a light touch not to knock all the air out. We didn’t use emmer but I imagine it’s pretty much the same. I enjoyed making the mice.
I applaud you for writing a letter of commendation. I notice that our local Facebook page which was filled with whinging about potholes doesn’t have a single post congratulating the council on their extensive recent resurfacing work. Such is life.
I always find it easier to complain than to say thank you. Unfortunately, there are a lot of things where we seem to pay for services that we don’t get, or pay for things we don’t need.
Very true.
🙂