History Main / GrammarCorrectionGag

* Correcting pronunciation, but... ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'':

* Various anecdotal jokes claim that UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill responded to the grammatical "rule" about not ending sentences with a preposition (or, alternatively, never splitting an infinitive[[note]] which does make sense in languages like Latin and French, where the infinitive is a single word, but which is frankly ridiculous when applied to English where [[Franchise/StarTrek "To Boldly Go"]] is both perfectly comprehensible and, frankly, poetic[[/note]]) along the lines of "That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put." [[https://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-leader/news/tn-blr-xpm-2006-08-16-blr-aword16-story.html It is with regret that we inform you that this is, in fact, false.]]

** In the episode "Francine Goes to War" Francine is trying to prank her new neighbor Mrs. Pariso into moving back out of the apartment building after Mrs. Pariso has annoyed Francine. At one point she writes her a letter claiming to be from the building's landlord and that the building is in danger of collapsing due to termites and has to be evacuated. The only problem is that Muffy writes the letter despite having less-than-optimal writing skills. Mrs. Pariso returns the letter to Francine with all of Muffy's mistakes corrected.

* ''Series/{{Castle}}''

* ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'': A series of strips had Connie trying to work on her novel, but Jeremy kept interrupting her. Finally, she put a notice on her door stating that she was not to be disturbed except in certain conditions, such as an injury resulting in copius loss of blood. Jeremy looks at the note, then knocks on the door to tell her that she misspelled "copious."

[[folder:Films -- Animation]]

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Captain Marvel|MarvelComics}}'': Continuity-loving writers will occasionally hook [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]] up with grammar-correction jokes. These are nods to the character's Bronze Age backstory when Carol Danvers was a bestselling author and a magazine editor.

* Continuity-loving writers will occasionally hook [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]] up with grammar-correction jokes. These are nods to the character's Bronze Age backstory when Carol Danvers was a bestselling author and a magazine editor.
* In issue #5 of ''Franchise/ThePinkPanther'' (Gold Key, March 1972), the adaptation of the Inspector cartoon "Le Quiet Squad" has this exchange (the story had the Inspector charged with keeping the Commissioner from being disturbed from noise):

* ''Franchise/SpiderMan'':
** Played seriously in the arc "The Other", where Peter interrupts Ezekiel's speech about his role in the grand scheme of things to correct a grammatical error, simply to show that he doesn't care. Said error was a reference to the voice-over intro to the first ''Film/XMen1'' film.

* This is seen scrawled on a pub's bathroom stall in ''ComicBook/SuburbanGlamour'', where Dave overhears a classmate of his complaining about failing to seduce Astrid after giving her a spiked drink.

* Inverted in ''ComicBook/XMen'' when Cyclops asks Sinister why he talks about Scott's brotherS. [[BlatantLies Sinister claimed it was a grammatical error]].

* ''Seies/Utopia2014'': In "Wide Awoke", Tony keeps noting spelling errors on the protestors signs ("turbine" and "moritorium") and Katie keeps going outside to inform them.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Doug}}'': When Mrs. Wingo reads her farewell card in "Doug Graduates", she informs [[TheBully Roger]] that [[CatchPhrase "Sayonara suckers!"]] is two words.

* When a bad guy in ''Grave Peril'' tells [[Literature/TheDresdenFiles Harry Dresden]] that "[[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe I will rip out thy heart!]]" Harry's immediate response is, "It's ''thine'' heart!" [[spoiler:This is also a plot point as the bad guy is masquerading as the ghost of a demon, who would know the proper speech.]]

** In "Marge in Chains" Lionel Hutz tries to give a fake verdict to Judge Snyder: "This verdict is written on a cocktail napkin! And it still says guilty! And "guilty" is spelled wrong!"

On the flipside of showing intelligence, this trope can also be used to show that someone is ComicallyMissingThePoint. Also, fairly often, the "grammatical error" will be more of a point of style that's [[ArtisticLicenseLinguistics not actually considered incorrect grammar]] by anyone ''but'' pedants (such as that prepositions are bad things [[HypocriticalHumor to end sentences with]].[[note]]This is the sort of nonsense up with which we will not put![[/note]]) -- writers who really want to [[ShownTheirWork Show Their Work]] may have the corrected party reply [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguistic_prescriptivism to that effect.]] Less often, the "error" might actually be technically correct, but this will only be known to really hardcore grammarians.[[note]]For example, "that'll learn 'em" actually comes from an archaic meaning of the verb "to learn" which means "to teach".[[/note]]

* A RunningGag on ''Anime/MyHime'' is that Haruka Suzushiro is frequently using {{Malaproper}}s both spoken and written. Her long suffering assistant (who also secretly pines for her) Yukino Kikukawa has to frequently fix or correct Haruka's mistakes. She did it again in her final scene in the finale.

* Continuity-loving writers will occasionally hook [[ComicBook/CarolDanvers Captain Marvel]] up with grammar-correction jokes. These are nods to the character's Bronze Age backstory, when Carol Danvers was a bestselling author and a magazine editor.

* In one strip that appeared in ''Magazine/{{MAD}}'', a stereotypical nerd comes across a sign saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." The nerd then pulls out a pen, and proceeds to fix the grammar, so it says, "If it isn't broken, don't fix it." As he's walking away, the sign suddenly falls off the wall, and crashes to the ground.

* ''ComicStrip/{{Zits}}'': A series of strips had Connie trying to work on her novel, but Jeremy kept interrupting her. Finally, she put a notice on her door stating that she was not to be disturbed except in certain conditions, such as an injury resulting in copius loss of blood. Jeremy looks at the note, then knocks on the door to tell her that she mis-spelled "copious."

* ''Fanfic/TheSecondTry'': In chapter 8 Shinji says Asuka "Ich leibe Sie," (meaning to say "I love you"). He leans to kiss her but he stops because she is stifling a chuckle. Then she teaches him the correct words ("Ich liebe dich") and kisses him.

* ''Theatre/SeventeenSeventySix'': "The word is 'unalienable,' not 'inalienable.'" "I'm sorry, Mr. Adams, but 'inalienable' is correct." This after the huge fight over slavery. Something similar must have happened in real-life events. Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence clearly shows the word "inalienable," but by the time the document had reached the printer, it had been changed to "unalienable."

* In ''Things Can Only Get Better'' by John O'Farrell, the author describes how, as a young Socialist, he went round the walls of his home town spraying "Coal, not Dole." on the walls. Next day he is mocked by his comrades for taking so much time to get the punctuation right.
* In the young adult novel ''Literature/TheTrueConfessionsOfCharlotteDoyle'', a young, wealthy girl in the 1830s becomes a sailor, discovers the captain of the ship is evil and causes his death (long story). She writes all of this in her diary, which her father reads. This leads to a long lecture about telling lies about the captain, consorting with common sailors, and generally being unladylike and immoral, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking ending with]]: "and the spelling, Charlotte. The spelling!"

-->'''Tracy:''' So, how you doing over there Theo Huxtable?\\

* ''Series/DoctorWho'': The Master does this in the TV Movie, when he (disguised as an ambulance medic), the Doctor, and Grace Holloway are in the back of an ambulance. Bear in mind, neither the Doctor nor Grace know what the Master ''looks like.'' She says something ending with "...as good as me," and the Master blows his cover with "...as ''well'' as you."

* ''Series/GrangeHill'': Mr Sutcliffe mis-spells one of his signs, directing new pupils around the school.

* ''Series/NewTricks'': In "Good Morning Lemmings", Brian wastes an entire morning attempting to compose the perfect 140 character tweet, which eventually causes an exasperated Jack to snap:

* In ''Series/{{Psych}}'', Chief Vick ordering Shawn to not bring his father in when an old case of his is reopened.

** One scene has several people chuckle about a police reports stating that a perp "fell prostate on the floor" (instead of prostrate).

* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic's Top 11 F*ck Ups had the fans constant pointing out of little spelling mistakes he made in the list, including one where he spells Nostalgia wrong.

* In "Franklin's Party Plans" from ''WesternAnimation/{{Franklin}}'', Franklin and his friends are preparing a SurpriseParty for Skunk, who they [[TheMovingExperience believe is moving away]]. Beaver has prepared a plate of muffins for the party and Bear reaches for a muffin, but is rebuffed by her. He asks her "Can't I try just one?" and she counters "''May'' I try just one?" "May I?" he asks.

* Played for drama in the GrandFinale of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' -- in the middle of [[spoiler:a ritual to banish Bill Cipher and stop TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, Ford]] corrects Stanley's use of "him and me", punctuating it with a very condescending ''"Grammar, Stanley"''. Stan is so angry he jumps [[spoiler: Ford]], interrupting the ritual, and allowing most of the cast to be captured by [[BigBad Bill]]. It should be mentioned that Stan [[spoiler:''didn't even finish high-school'' due to being kicked out by their parents]], so it was a particularly low blow.
-->'''Stanley:''' I'll "grammar Stanley" you, you stuck up son of a gun!

-->'''Renee Hicks:''' Well that didn't stop me, because I don't answer to that! I walked up in there all the way to the counter and I said "Hey, you see that sign out there? Well, the word 'Nigger' is... [[BaitAndSwitchComment spelled with TWO G's, you dumbass!]]"

* Various anecdotal jokes claim that UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill responded to the grammatical "rule" about not ending sentences with a preposition (or, alternatively, never splitting an infinitive[[note]] which does makes sense in languages like Latin and French, where the infinitive is a single word, but which is frankly ridiculous when applied to English where [[Franchise/StarTrek "To Boldly Go"]] is both perfectly comprehensible and, frankly, poetic[[/note]]) along the lines of "That is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I shall not put." [[https://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-leader/news/tn-blr-xpm-2006-08-16-blr-aword16-story.html It is with regret that we inform you that this is, in fact, false.]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'': Rikku at one point reports their status as "[[PerfectlyCromulentWord disasterrific]]". Brother demands that she use "disastrous" like the rest of the world. Of course, when Yuna later uses the same word to describe their situation, rather than berate her use of the word, Brother is ready to charge in to save the girls, but especially Yuna. In Japanese, she says "Daijoubanai" conjugating the noun Daijoubu (everything is okay) into a negative form even though the word doesn't work that way.

* In ''LightNovel/{{Baccano}}'', the [[TheMafia Martillo Family]]'s resident HumanoidAbomination, [[spoiler:Ronnie Schiatto]], decides to interrupt a top-secret FBI briefing to point out that they spelled his [[TheDon Don]]'s name wrong in the case files. {{Omniscience}} tends to make one sensitive to spelling errors.