Preying On Spelling Errors
I’m a freelance graphic designer. I live in a small rural village in England, and while not religious, am friends with a few neighbours who attend the local Catholic church. I’m helping them make some pamphlets for an upcoming religious service, and they’ve sent me the copy text to go into the design.
I spot something and call them back.
Me: “Are you sure this is the final copy?”
Client: “That’s what they told me!”
Me: “It’s just the text to go above the image of the priests. It says ‘let us prey’ – spelled P-R-E-Y.”
Client: “Yes, I see that.”
Me: “I think it should be P-R-A-Y. Prey as a verb is… well… probably not what they intended to go with an image of priests.”
Pause.
Client: “Oh… Oh! Yes… I see it now. Yes, I think I’d best double-check.”
Me: “Yes, I think that would be best.”