
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 16, 1990                   TAG: 9007160170
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY WALKER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THE CASE FOR SPONTANEITY (SOMETIMES) IN SPELLING

THE CONTROVERSY over the Buena Vista students whose misspelled letters were published in the newspaper there shows how spelling can become an almost moral issue.

Consider, for a moment, the idea of "correct" spelling.

Has it always existed? No.

In early English, the goal simply was to communicate. If the reader understood your message, the spelling was considered correct.

Truth is, some guys in the 18th century decided that every word needed a standard spelling.

These individuals included Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson. Through their efforts, something was gained. But something was lost as well. The free and natural spontaneity of early English spelling gave way to the rigidity of Johnson's dictionary and the tomes that succeeded it.

I myself enjoy creative spelling. "Lite" does not bother me. Neither does "All U Can Eat," or its more refined variant, "All U Care To Eat."

I am equally comfortable with sentence fragments, the bane of grammar pedants. Of course, I am an advertising copywriter, and in the world of advertising, sentence fragments are de rigueur (French for "the rigor)."

The spelling of the famous Outer Banks gas 'n beer store, Brew-Thru, may irritate some people. But the standard spelling, "Brew-Through," simply does not reflect the beach spirit. We want to get gas. We want to get beer. We want to do it as quickly as possible. We certainly do not want to wade through that long and absurdly spelled word T-H-R-O-U-G-H. No, we want to get thru right away so we can hit the beach!

Am I calling for abandonment of standardized spelling? Should we toss all dictionaries in the recycling bin?

No.

Standardized spelling has its place. High-school graduates should use it in their job applications, because that's what employers expect. Students should use it in their papers, because teachers are notoriously humorless about originality in spelling. And, probably, it should be used in newspaper columns.

But let's recognize standardized spelling for what it is - simply a communication format, such as WordPerfect or Lotus 1-2-3. It's nothing to feel guilty about.

Ask not, "is it correct," but "does it communicate effectively in this situation?" And let your heart be your guide.

by CNB