- Typographic Tangles and Mistakes of Malice
- "The error - - a defective on the police force.
- The correction -- a detective on the police farce."
- -A typographical error and correction from a newspaper
- Harper's New Monthly Magazine of January 1866 contains a collection of typographical errors. The evidence is that some of the "mistakes" were the public jokes of the typographical staff. Denials not withstanding, we repeat some of these hysterical, uh . . . historical blunders.
- A mismatched headline for an article on fattening swine was placed over a political article. "GREAT HOGS" stated the head. "Under this headline we include the clergy, the editorial fraternity, and the members of congress." continued the article.
- A political advertisement was to have said that "The Hon. Mr.____ would address the masses." By a simple misplacement of a space the public was informed that his honor would "address them asses at the National Hall."
- An emotional speech by a political leader should have reported that "Many members wept . . . and Mr. Speaker Winthrop more than once gave way to his feelings in a flood of tears. The printers, maybe doubting the sincerity of the event, printed " Many members slept . . . and Mr. Speaker Winthrop more than once gave way to his feelings in a flow of beer."
- Also among the Harper collection is this typo from England, "At a great public demonstration . . . after one or two unimportant speeches, a certain demagogue arose whose appearance was the signal for loud and enthusiastic cheering from the multitude." The official party newspaper account was suppose to be positive and supportive. Instead it reported that the large crowd "rent the air with their snouts."
- A young apprentice, who was working on a book of Greek mythology, thought he had discovered an error when he came upon the name of Hecate, one of the female divinities of the lower world. The boy asked the master printer if "cat" had an "e" it it. "Why, no, you blockhead!" was the reply. The lad made the necessary extraction and the line read and was printed, "Shall reign the He cat of the deepest hell."
- A no longer grieving printer's widow in Germany made a "correction" in "honor" of her late husband. While a Bible was being printed in her shop, she altered the sentence of subjugation pronounced on Eve in Genesis. "Adam shall be your lord (herr, in German)." The alteration read, "Adam shall be your fool (narr, in German)."
- In one story, "New Yorkers suffered from a high rate of morality." (mortality).
- At a convocation of historians, it was reported that " all went snoringly" (smoothly).
- A train accident cut a cow into "calves." (halves).
- Several "solders were lost in a bottle." (battle).
- A thief stole from a self-important lady of society "an ox off her person." (box)
- A lofty personage was described as being an "immoral figure." (immortal).
- A dance instructor, wishing to express obligations for past favors, "offered his shanks." (thanks).
- A religious book on healing was titled "An Essay on Mangles." (Miracles)
- A comma was omitted from the story of a funeral service. "His remains were committed to that bourne where no traveler returns attended by his friends."
- A sale on "brass hoppers" brought a large crowd to purchase "grasshoppers."
- The moral of this story is don't make your typesetter mad!
Copyright (C) 1997 by Frank Granger
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