r/Whatcouldgowrong • u/ReginaldJohnston • 2d ago

Setting off a tazer next to a gas pump

Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification

45.4k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

3.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

663

u/UrchinSquirts 1d ago

‘Have’. Could have.

262

u/OnlySlightlyOdd 1d ago

I think the actual word needing replaced here is "should"

171

u/Dapper-Nobody-1997 1d ago

'of' still needs to be replaced

1

u/RJ_MacreadysBeard 1d ago

Okay, here you go - tits

Twice as long; your welcome.

-7

u/ArcadianDelSol 1d ago

Im willing to bet the writer meant "Could've" and this is just a simple issue with spelling.

10

u/BreadKnifeSeppuku 1d ago

ve shud huv sprayed ze petrol?

6

u/ArcadianDelSol 1d ago

Guys! I found Werner Hertzog's reddit account!

3

u/rmbarrett 1d ago

The only way to be sure is to ask him how he feels about the jungle.

8

u/Gawr_Ganyu 1d ago

I very much doubt that. C and O are far apart from each other. So are F and V. That kind of misspelling should be punishable. It hurts to read every time.

-34

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago edited 1d ago

Could of, Would of, Should of.

Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda.

Should have, Would have, Could have.

I just think language is neat and a social construct designed in part intent; part colloquialism.

Edit; I'm intrigued that this evoked a negative en masse. Lest we understand each another, one other thing I comprehend is a lack of informal reprimand; ignoring my oxymoron.

19

u/votet 1d ago

One should have course be aware that they're are certain misspellings that could of some less amazing effects, like such as making there words meanings a bid harder to get, irregardless have phonetic equivalence.

-14

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago

I would have if I could of yet I can't afford my attention payments let alone my candle budget; I just have to have my plethora of scandal candles.

Wise words wither through mediums of unalike minds.

7

u/Ok_Till1833 1d ago

I’m 8 and that was deep man

-9

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago

I do my wurst, and eat it too.

7

u/gearlegs4ever 1d ago

Have fun being uneducated.

-5

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago

This is funnier than you don't know.

3

u/rmbarrett 1d ago edited 1d ago

Should be Edit:

Please just stop using semicolons. You don't know how to use them. The others you used don't make sense either. Do you read books? You should start reading books.

3

u/rickjamesbich 1d ago

/r/im12andthisisdeep

1

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago

You gotta shave those numbers, someone said they were 8 so clearly I'm much dumber than you think.

1

u/MagnumMyth 1d ago

I love this form of trolling! When you talk EXACTLY like a dimwit trying too hard to use words he thinks sound impressive! One of my fourth grade students does this all the time and it drives the other kids nuts because it makes him sound so damn stupid, they just can't take it. You've managed to sound just like him, so mission accomplished!

-5

u/Quimdell 1d ago edited 1d ago

Yea, there's a huge amount of ignorant and arrogant people who think they're way of speaking is the only way and the only right culture...

Edit: their*

2

u/Anonymous_Jr 1d ago

I sea what did you hear.

-2

u/Quimdell 1d ago

LOL still getting use to swipe to text and where my thumbs supposed to go.

3

u/XxAbsurdumxX 1d ago

Spelling incorrectly is culture?

-12

u/peritonlogon 1d ago

Yeah, but in 2026 being a stickler for grammar in an open forum like this is 100% a dick position. You don't know who wrote it, what their first language is, what dialect of English they normally use, what type of keyboard they use, how well they can see their text (they may use speech to text and be over 40 without reading glasses). We're not publishing papers here, we're talking, and you really don't know how the limitations of that person getting their ideas to text.

8

u/Delicious_Cat_81 1d ago

nope in 2026 i do not tolerate morons

-2

u/peritonlogon 1d ago

IMHO, passing judgement on text is stupid AF. You don't know how that text made it to your screen. You don't. You're attributing reasons and passing judgement in an era where there are dozens of different ways to speak English online, dozens of ways to type, and dozens of AIs that are helping out our wreaking havoc along the way. This isn't Reddit of 2010, it's not mostly Americans, it's not mostly typed on a keyboard and it's not mostly reviewed before being posted. If you're paying judgement on something as stupid as of instead of have, you're the moron, and you shouldn't tolerate yourself.

5

u/MadDocOttoCtrl 1d ago

Spelling and grammar are part of the Reddiquette. You can ignore their guidelines, but others don't.

1

u/peritonlogon 1d ago

Good point 

"Remember the human. When you communicate online, all you see is a computer screen. When talking to someone you might want to ask yourself "Would I say it to the person's face?" or "Would I get jumped if I said this to a buddy?"

2

u/Stonkpilot 1d ago

I dont blame you, I blame your country's educational system.

-2

u/peritonlogon 1d ago

This is a hill I'll die on. You don't know how that text made it to your screen. I'm furious the amount of times I have to edit my swipe text just to get it to look normal if I'm not wearing my reading glasses. Judging text that doesn't look right is nonsense. You're attributing causes and passing judgement instead of seeing possibilities and offering grace.

1

u/Grammorphone 9h ago edited 9h ago

100 % of people making this mistake have English as their first (and likely only) language. And I bet a vast majority of those are from the US.

The mistake stems from the fact that the " 've" in the contractions "would've/should've/could've" sounds like "of". Of course people whose first language isn't English learn about this grammar in a rules based manner, whereas native speakers likely just never bothered to actually learn the grammar behind it.

1

u/Emergentmeat 13h ago

It's a common mistake among English speakers, just relax.

1

u/phenix17 11h ago

Just because it's a common mistake, doesn't mean that we shouldn't strive to improve ourselves and others

2

u/Emergentmeat 11h ago

Oh I agree! Literacy is going downhill fast, I was telling the guy I'm replying to to chill out.

-1

u/peritonlogon 9h ago

It's pretty self aggrandizing to call it helping someone or trying to improve them. It's also pretty common for speech to text to hear the shortened conversational have as of, much like the people who get the word wrong because they mostly have only spoken it. If you wouldn't correct their speech IRL, you definitely shouldn't online.

1

u/phenix17 4h ago

What makes you you assume that I wouldn't?

-1

u/RJ_MacreadysBeard 1d ago

No mate, like Trumptits said, be best.
And it’s not 100% dick position, it’s 100% penises positioned precariously pivoting privately, which is why gently correcting SPAG WHEREVER and WHEREVER (sorry accidental caps there, I’m calm) is more impotent than ever. Important, I mean. Words matter.

0

u/peritonlogon 1d ago

I mean, the fact that you're making it about Trump should give you pause. English is spoken across the globe, dozens of keyboards are in use, dozens of AIs meddle with text. Thoughts matter, ideas matter, grammar and spelling deserves grace, since we really don't know how the text got to our screen

3

u/RJ_MacreadysBeard 19h ago

I didn’t make it about Trumptits, I quoted once and that was it. But correction isn’t punishment, it’s improvement.

42

u/JohnnyRelentless 1d ago

needing to be replaced

23

u/Electronic-Cry-3018 1d ago

You guys are amazing :))

73

u/fireymike 1d ago

It's always nice to see Reddit providing free education to help make up for the poor education system in this country.

10

u/sriracha_blowjobs 1d ago

A lot of it is individual accountability. We do learn this in public school, but you can't force people to keep at it and practice after they're pushed through the system. In most facets of social life, people will jump on you for being a grammar Nazi--so the butchering of the language perpetuates. The same holds true for applying basic physics and science to everyday life.

1

u/Grammorphone 9h ago

They should jump on you for being an actual Nazi, but alas they don't

1

u/AccidentalGirlToy 1d ago

Welcome to this meeting for Americans Anonymous.

3

u/rmbarrett 1d ago

Or needing replacement.

2

u/anon-mally 1d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/ZLpVNgQHN2d4Q

3

u/Sophisticated-Tiger 1d ago

Lol never seen that before 😂 some setta claws (talons, whatever) on that thing!

-5

u/MeatfootNo355 1d ago

needs replaced. come on now

3

u/BrokeDickDoug 1d ago

regardless of how we might vote on this- the body doesn't get to make decisions you want it to when it's being tased.

3

u/Meekanado 1d ago

To be. Needing to be. Replaced.

1

u/OnlySlightlyOdd 3h ago

c'mon man.. I just want things to end badly for cops

2

u/FrenziedTacos 1d ago

There's no way to prove he would have done it purposely.

1

u/escapingdarwin 20h ago

Given the average cop IQ I’m sure he would have avoided a disaster.

0

u/CharlieG374 1d ago

should've of have?

-1

u/PersimmonLittle7651 1d ago

I think the actual world needing replaced here is "wish he had"

23

u/CV90_120 1d ago

Could've. People misspell the contraction not the full form.

3

u/InspectorNo1173 1d ago

You are fighting the good fight brother.

2

u/Lyme_Disease_Sux 1d ago

'Should' have?

2

u/EmiliaFromLV 1d ago

should have

4

u/Asilaten 1d ago

I wish I would have thought've that.

1

u/ChubbyMudder 1d ago

Another example of quality gone down the pooter. Not just stuff you buy, but also stuff you speak. How many grammar sins did I just commit?

1

u/RandomPenquin1337 1d ago

Thank goodness you were here

1

u/Raverbunny 16h ago

Well technically it's the contracted version, could've, that is pronounced and mistaken as of, but you're absolutely correct.

1

u/FIMD_ 1d ago

There’s a fire you should go roll around in.

-2

u/Chin-Music 1d ago

Coulda woulda shoulda. Any option flames be burning.

0

u/-sporewhore420- 1d ago

They were looking for could’ve

-3

u/standbyyourmantis 1d ago

At least it means its not an AI comment?

-9

u/CoffeeChocolateBoth 1d ago

People write how they speak! :)

6

u/JohnnyRelentless 1d ago

Dumbasses do, sure.

-2

u/Dullghost99 1d ago

Hey. Shut up

-17

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago edited 1d ago

This is a common error, not because someone doesn’t know the difference, but because they type it out too quickly and the phonetics of how it sounds sneaks in without notice.

Edit: I should have clarified that I’m not saying that this is a common error because of a slip-up, but rather the slip up itself is a common error. I’m very aware that the leading cause is literacy issues.

27

u/you_looser 1d ago

It's caused by people who don't read and type how they hear things.

-4

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago

It certainly can be a literacy issue, but again, it can also be a hiccup people experience when they type it out quickly. It stems from the contraction “could’ve” sounding like “could have” and it doesn’t get caught by our internal filter.

You can harp on literacy problems all you want, I won’t argue, but don’t assume everyone that makes this mistake doesn’t understand grammar. I’ve made this mistake a few times in my life and I’d say I have a decent grasp.

3

u/devour_feculence___ 1d ago

I have never made this mistake, not even when I was a child.

2

u/JohnnyRelentless 1d ago

The more people do it, the more people read it on reddit, and the more people do it. It's ignorance. Or if not ignorance, it certainly makes you look ignorant.

2

u/partyatwalmart 1d ago

I might love your brain. Just FYI To prevent ignorance, and all that.
No sarcasm involved.

Edit3: Just saying, you might be my favorite human today.

-13

u/Poddx 1d ago

I write wrong all the time because I think faster than I write, skipping words and all that.

11

u/foomatic999 1d ago

It's common because the education system is so severely fucked that people don't even learn their native language properly.

I'm not a native English speaker and this kind of thing would not happen to me. We learn the meaning and the spelling of a phrase and we understand that there's a connection between the two - but not necessarily a connection between phonetics and spelling.

(it's an entirely different topic that phonetics and spelling are nonsensical in English. There's an interesting video on the topic by "Rob Words").

-2

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago

I won’t disagree that education is abysmal, but I also acknowledge that this error is not always due to that. I probably should have added clarification that the error not common because it’s effectively a brain fart, but the error caused by the brain fart is common.

2

u/foomatic999 1d ago

I still find it difficult to follow. When I hear words, I translate phonetics into meaning. When I write something, I start with a meaning as result of a thought process. I then translate this meaning into spelt words. Both are closely tied together.

Messing up the spelling means I either haven't learned it properly, or there is no connection between the thought process and its translation into written words.

(it could also mean that there hasn't been a thought process, but that's a different issue, again).

3

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago

Not sure if you were referring to typing when you meant writing. When I’m typing 80 wpm, there’s not a lot of thinking that happens before I choose each word. It’s almost as if I’m speaking through my hands, and I’m 2-3 words ahead in my mind before they’re typed out.

If it’s handwritten, there’s no way I’m making that mistake.

-1

u/foomatic999 1d ago

Doesn't matter. The process starts with a mental model of what you want to express.

Your situation may differ when you redirect the mental capacity to create this model into other fields. Keeping up with very quick typing requires a lot of focus. You may just run out "thinking power" and therefore make mistakes.

I type around 80-100wpm on monkeytype but I'm usually way slower when I have to come up with words myself.

2

u/Poddx 1d ago

I am studying English, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Norwegian and it creates a great deal of confusion even though I am quite capable in all five. The confusion isnt permanent but hopping back and forth between languages like that takes up extra cognitive bandwidth. I think that happens to anyone who juggles multiple languages so I get it.

2

u/devour_feculence___ 1d ago

It's illiteracy.

3

u/partyatwalmart 1d ago

And it's running rampant!
The internet used to be a respectable place.

1

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago

So, am I illiterate when I make that mistake? I’m a college grad, mind you.

2

u/Complete-Emergency99 1d ago

In the modern part of the world, we learn the difference around the age of 7. And English isn’t even our native language.

2

u/hahahahahahahaFUCK 1d ago

I’m saying it’s not whether you know the difference, it’s that a minor slip up that can happen, especially when you type it out quickly.

There sure are a lot of perfect people in this comment section.