Editing 2885: Spelling

{{comic
| number    = 2885
| date      = January 24, 2024
| title     = Spelling
| image     = spelling_2x.png
| imagesize = 281x333px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = Any time I misspell a word it's just because I have too much integrity to copy answers from the dictionary.
}}

==Explanation==

The spelling of the word "plagiarism" is not particularly intuitive and is therefore hard to remember how to spell.  Search engines like Google autocorrect most misspelled words, providing the correct spelling. Some people get help with hard-to-spell words by entering their best guess into Google, then copy-pasting the correct version.

Cueball has an unusually strict interpretation of {{dict|plagiarism}} in which copying the ''individual word'' "plagiarism" without attribution would be plagiarizing, and this misplaced integrity makes him morally opposed to doing so.

He also does not consider the option to cite his Google search of the often misspelled word as a source when including the correct spelling "plagiarism" in his document:
 "plagerism - Google Search." Google, https://www.google.com/search?q=plagerism. Accessed 24 January 2024.

The title text implies that Cueball's absurdist view of plagiarism applies much more widely when he says he only ever misspells words because he has too much integrity to copy the spelling from the dictionary, an act he also considers to be plagiarism. Simply using the dictionary to [https://guides.library.ubc.ca/legalcitation/sec#:~:text=Dictionaries%20are%20not%20normally%20cited,.%22%20See%20the%20following%20examples. spell a word correctly or lookup its definition] is not plagiarism and does not require a citation. Any style guide or professional editor would advise Cueball that correct spelling is much preferred to incorrect spelling or superfluous citations.

Note that while spelling assistance should not be cited, citing a dictionary can be appropriate when using the ''entry'' associated with a word, for example:
* Providing a definition: If you're using a definition from a dictionary to make a point in your writing. This is because the definition is serving as a source of evidence or support for your argument.
* Etymology or historical usage: If you are discussing the etymology or historical evolution of a word.

"Plagiarise" rather than "plagiarize" is the common spelling in many parts of the English-speaking world. Search engines may localize(/localise) the appropriate spelling(s) based on the user's (presumed) location. 

A common misspelling of "plagiarism" is "[https://capitalizemytitle.com/plagiarize-vs-plagerize-how-do-you-spell-it/ plagerism]", perhaps because of the way the word sounds when pronounced.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is sitting on an office chair at a desk and looking at a laptop while resting his hands on it. Megan is standing behind him and looking at the laptop as well.]
:Megan: When I can't spell a word I usually just Google and copy and paste it from the results.
:Cueball: Yeah, but I can't do that '''''here!!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why spelling "plagiarism" is especially hard

==Trivia==
Randall had previously commented on some ''other'' problems with using Google's suggestion feature as a spellchecker in [https://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/ the Color Survey Results post] on the xkcd [[Blag]].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Language]]