Proofreading of the very, very careful sort is vital before submitting work. It’s then that one picks up those sneaky and often hilarious typos that no client would want, especially if they aren’t double-checking and just go ahead with a skim-through and post.

It was through proofreading that I discovered “pubic humiliation”, a hitherto unheard-of torment that is all too easy to invent with a slip of the keyboard. I also discovered “feeding the fog” which I had always thought to be the prerogative of heavy industry. Now I know better!

The possibilities in the public / pubic typo are endless, as only a little thought will show. “Pubic exposure”for instance, is definitely illegal but may accidentally happen to those seeking “pubic attention”, and as for “pubic pressure”, well, let’s just leave it at that! Pubic holidays, pubic servants, pubic life (?) and pubic services are now a particular concern of mine, and seeking the “l” has become an obsession!

The fog is much less worrying

If you mean “dog” and type “fog” instead, you have made an error, but you have to admit, it’s a whole lot less sensational. It could even be charming. Imagine playing with the fog or, more mysteriously, training it. It seems, at worst, rather mystical and cute. “Every fog should have a cold, damp nose,” is slightly more sinister, but still not too bad. All the same, it’s good to be on the alert for renegade weather when you’re really supposed to be discussing an animal!

Being a partial prat

Again, we enter the realms of worrying typos. “He was a very important prat of the initiative,” is rather a nasty thing to say, but thanks to grammar, your prat will tend to be rather obscure in most contexts. Thank goodness for that. Still, it can fall into place with a nasty clang when someone”plays the prat of a businessman”. Actually, I’ve known one or two people who could be perfect for the role, but we shall remain silent on that score.

Attention, Attention!

The problem with commercial writers, is that we tend to work long hours playing the prat of the pubic voice of our clients. We hardly even notice our fogs, poor things,and we like skating close to deadlines.Every client deserves work that is correct, and leaving a day between writing and editing is wisest.

A lot of people want same-day service, and there I do my best, editing included. Usually, it’s error free even with the rush, but I’m not making any promises either! Today, I will publish this post directly after writing it. I like living dangerously sometimes!