TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 4, 26 July 1946, Page 5

TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

ANTS IN THE PRINTERS’ PANTS

Typesetters sometimes omit letters. A Des Moines newspaper once reported of Mr Witter Bynrxer, the poet, that he had been ‘the pot of the evening.” Mr Bynner took it graciously, remarking: “They probably thought it was a recital of chamber music.”-

When, on tlie death of President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt succeeded to the high office, a New York editor desired to contrast the event with a recent event in Europe. But the compositor, coming to the word “oath” in the manuscript, struck a wrong key and the sentence appeared: “For sheer democratic dignity, nothing could exceed the moment when, surrounded by the Cabinet, Mr Roosevelt, took his simple bath as President of the United States.”Then there is the almost classical story about Bret Harte when he was a very young editor. He wrote the obituary notice of a most respectable lady, closing with: “above all ladies of this town, she was distinguished for her charity.”

This came back from-the pressroom: “distinguished for her chastity.” Instead of making the correction, he merely put a mark of query on the margin of the proof, with this result: “Mrs McGillian, above all the ladies of this town, was distinguished for her chastity(?)” In “St. Louis Post-Dispatch”: For Sale: 1937 Chevrolet sedan, fine com dition, reasonable; tires like new, heavy burper in rear. Call Miss Bowen, CLA 6295 J. Certain words are a standing peril to typesetters. A collision between a train and a cow, reported in a newspaper, ended with the remark that the engineer “putting on full steam, dashed up against the cow and literally cut her into calves.” In “London Morning Times”: Lord Cedric Huffington-Croy is confined to. Lis town house with a milady,.- the nature of which has not yet been diagnosed.

The Word window was 'harassed ,the editors of all English-speaking countries, but it was nevertheless astonishing to find “House and Garden” remarking variety to the appearance of a house than a few undraped windows.” '