I give passes to most homophone errors, if they're rare.

Still makes me laugh every time I see "baited breath", though.

And I'm with Susan: I grind my teeth every time someone misuses an old expression like "loose cannon" or "toe the line", showing with breathtaking clarity his/her failure to understand the literal/historical meaning of the expression.

Actually the one thing that absolutely guarantees my inability to read far is rampant misuse of punctuation. I used to know a brilliant writer who couldn't/didn't edit for shit, and was riddled with misspellings and short line, long line disease etc. But she used punctuation pretty well, and I could read her just fine; whereas a lot of the bad fanfic either jumps blissfully into a sea of comma splices or eschews punctuation marks entirely.

When I started really editing other people's work, I had to school myself to think of them that way to make sure I caught any misuse. So now the association is there, and my fingers aren't always on the same wavelength with my brain.

Yeah. Proofreading for a living killed me. I never made these mistakes until I proofed professionally.

I give passes to most homophone errors, if they're rare.

Navel vs. Naval. Kills me every time.

Though there was a story the other day where someone was "as wanton as Chinese soup." I think that's my new favorite.

Loose vs. Lose is always the worst for me -- after all, they aren't even homophones.

Shown for shone. Hardly anyone uses that for past tense of shine, so a lot of people aren't really aware of the spelling, and spellcheck okays "shown."

Also, mantel for a hearth, as opposed to a mantle or a cloak. Past tense of cast--broadcast, spellcast, forecast--is cast. Past tense of "bid you stay" or forbid is bade (pronounced "bad") or forbade.

I'm confused now, but some reservoir of luddite is still unwilling to accept "orientate, orientated" rather than "orient, oriented" as a form of "orientation."

Also, mantel for a hearth, as opposed to a mantle or a cloak.

From my work on my fireplace, I can assure you this one is very common. Even on professional sites about mantels.

I'm confused now, but some reservoir of luddite is still unwilling to accept "orientate, orientated" rather than "orient, oriented" as a form of "orientation."

I think the hugely unnecessary syllable addition thing is primarily British, if my viewings of Mystery! episodes is any guide. I remember on "Second Sight" some cop talking about a "disorientated" witness.

Which is WRONG in this country, and should be in that one too.

"orientate, orientated" rather than "orient, oriented" as a form of "orientation."

"oriented" is just too short. I say "orientated", and that's what I write, unless I have very specific reason (an American character speaking) not to.

But what does orientate mean? Aside from the meaning of "orient", that is? If it's a different word, shouldn't there be a difference in meaning? The extra syllable doesn't give it added power, it just sounds...puffy. To me, anyway. But as I said, luddite.

Common Errors in English lists it as a mistake.

Edit: and MW gives its conception date as mid-1800s.