Wednesday, May 6, 2009

How Do You Spell Success?

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Uh, pretty much not like this:


Apparently Abby's last 21st birthday was not legal.

So if the "Good" is by Lucy, who made the rest?


And what do you call someone who makes slippers out of plaited ribbons?

A "braidal shoer", of course!

Ahahahahaa!

Ahem.

So in conclusion: Kids, stay in school. Otherwise you, too, may be forced to write lame jokes on the internet someday.


Hey Heather F., Amanda W., Laura, and Diana:
"Thunks!"



* Related Wreckage: In So Many Words
NathKnits said...

Now, I'm as pedantic about spelling as the next person, but I must say that good-by is an acceptable, though outdated, spelling of good-bye.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/good-by

NYCGirl said...

My word verification is 'panic.' Enough said.

Logical Libby said...

I don't think that last cake is a wreck. I think the decorator is trying out a new line of sarcastic, passive aggressive desserts. It says "Thanks" but it really means "Thanks, Jerk."

Haiku Joy said...

White rose of Lucy
Shoots flying petals of hate
At neon icing.

Etiquette Bitch said...

I take it that the grat year didn't inclood speling lessins.

The Alphabet Gang said...

Re: the "Thunks" cake -- did someone put a CIGARETTE out in it??? Seriously, what IS that THING? (with apologies to Cary Elwes). :D

Carmen

Anonymous said...

I just can't get enough of your blog! It makes me laugh out loud every day. Thanks so much!!

Anonymous said...

first comment

Boozy Tooth said...

No, Jen....

Thunk YOU!

NDL said...

LOL... typo-cakes are my favorite Wrecks!

Lisa Chin said...

So Funny! I love the mithspelling cakes.

Anonymous said...

Aww, wreck #2 is so well done! The lettering is perfectly adorable with the polka dots. Why oh why do people have such trouble with your and you're? Or, their there and they're for that matter.

MFonvielle said...

That thing on top of the strawberries looks like one of those rawhide chew-things I give to my dog.

the ginabean said...

I believe that decorators around the world should have quick access to a dictionary so as not to misspell. Although...English, I assume, would be their native language (in most cases, right?) What's up with the lack of grammar across this nation?

Unknown said...

Is that Braidal Shoer shower cake a cake at all? It looks like strawberries on a rice cake. Oh wait. I guess rice cake is cake...of some kind. Maybe it's cheesecake? It just looks strange.

Trevor said...

Abby's cake is such a shame. That's actually really nice writing on it!

Laura Dotson-Thomson said...

So, I always wonder: is it the person ordering, the person taking the order, or the cake decorator that can't spell? Poor poor people...

Anonymous said...

"braidal shoer"
bwahahaha
Thanks for the belly laughs for the day!

Miranda said...

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha!

Braidal Shoer. Yes, you see, these are the hippies who make sandals by braiding leather straps.

Also, what's up with all these cakes that have nice decorations, and then the writing is hideously scribbled in a clashing color?

Christina Alligator said...

It destroys my faith in humanity to think that people can spell so poorly. So, I'm going to chose to believe that some Yanks were ribbing Bri, the Scottish/Irish bride, about her accent. Who's with me? Anyone...?

ScatterCode said...

Abby's cake demonstrates how fine is the line between Cake Wreck and Cake Wonder - so pretty and yet so... wrong.

Sheila Bennett said...

Of course, the Abby cake should read "you're" not "your". This is such a pet peeve of mine!

And a Braidal Shoer - do people ever THINK?

raficus said...

At first glance, I thought that last one said "Shunks", not "Thunks".

Well, it's a cake wreck regardless.

Wayward Son said...

Can anyone explain to me what those "drinks" are on the Happy 21st cake? Logic says they're drinks, but my eyes say they're pudding cups topped with cookie crumbs and green gummy worms.

And what are those little fish things on Lucy's cake? The ones between the rose and the writing?

Bryan said...

That is too hilarious!!!

And btw - check out my blog (just click on my name) called Personal Development and Growth, Your Guide to Self-Improvement and Personal Growth- it's worth checking out and thought I would share! I'm trying to not just make new friends but also help friends, new and old alike. Take care!

MAGolla said...

I've never worked in the field of cake decorating, though I watch Ace of Cakes, watch the food network challenges and visit this blog, so this is a real question.
Question: How come they can't scrape off the icing or remove the fondant and redo the mistake? You can do that right? Is it simply because these yahoos just don't catch their mistakes?
Just wondering, Thanks

Jeremy said...

I thought people turned legal at 18?
And why is it on a cake?
And why, why, why!?
And can I have her phone number?

E.A.D. said...

Wow........those are just painful.

Unknown said...

That first cake just brings back bad memories of beating old school video games.

CONGRATULATION. YOU ARE WINNER.

Unknown said...

Your Legal. That drives me NUTS!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE LEGAL... Which makes YOU'RE.... ARGH!

DK
http://uberfoodnoob.blogspot.com/

Slices said...

Milton - I'd say the drinks are likely Jell-O shooters, and the 'worms' you're seeing are little candy limes. (The Jell-O shooter is a guess, who doesn't want booze on their 21st B-day cake?!) And the 'fish' bits, are supposed to be rosebuds, though very strangely placed...and apparantly floating.

I love the mithspelling cakes! Although while I'm laughing at the uneducated, I can feel the ire rising in me at the same time.

Unknown said...

Sadly, they're teaching the kids now that it's acceptable to spell the word the way it sounds.
(SIGH of defeat).

What iz now reks will soon beecom normul...(running away screaming)

~Amy B.

BlondeShot Creative said...

oh goodness, these are bad.

April said...

"Thunks" fer nothin', ya bastahds (puts cigarette out in middle of cake)!

HorribleLicensePlates said...

Absolutely hilarious!

Anonymous said...

Okay, even if "bridal shower" had been spelled right...wth kind of message is that? Did they assume Bri wouldn't understand what kind of event she was attending and the cake message would be her first clue?

I can see her next cake now; it's gonna say, "Weding Bri."

Yota Armai said...

Is it just me is or is the rest of the braidal shoer picture been swirled? Or maybe I should have had less coffee this morning.

hsfisher95 said...

hee hee, I'm Heather F., and sent in the #2 Abby's Legal cake... it was on this lady's website of simply fantastic cakes and there it was streaming just as pretty as you please. I really hate that it was mispelled to, I mean too. HA! All of her cakes were really nice ones!! Oh well!! I'm NOT perfect by ANY stretch of the imaginashun.

:)

Jessi said...

"braidal shoer"
You are literally a genius.

megan said...

haha, the "thunks" is my favorite!

i wish i could get a cake wreck for my birthday today. that would be so awesome.

Anonymous said...

Thunks for more of my favorites, the mithspellings!

Word verification: untis, the misspelling of unties

Stacy Elise said...

What's so sad is that the 21st birthday cake had great penmanship! Oh well...at least it looked nice at quick glance. :-)

Shelley said...

I think "thunks" kind of looks like "Jhunks".

deedee said...

The "your" should have been you're or you are.

Ann Burlingham said...

DangGina, grammar isn't spelling. English has a difficult system of spelling, with many archaisms. Nevertheless, it would be nice if people whose spelling skills are poor would check before sending out work they're asking money for.

(Homophone typos in published books are my bugaboo.)

If you love language and good blogs, check out Language Log: http://languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=1314

Angie said...

Those are just so wrong.

WV = ousness. Misspelling of ouchness? 'Cos that's what I'm feeling at the sight of these cakes...

Ann Burlingham said...

Oy with the "world is ending because people can't spell" complaints, people! Spelling is a talent, not a skill, in my opinion- some can do it, some can't - it doesn't map to intelligence. Also, written language is meant to represent spoken language - both forms change.

Now for some Mark Twain:

http://www.plainlanguage.gov/examples/humor/marktwain.cfm

Christina said...

Awww man, that's such a shame that the wreckerator wrecked up that 21st birthday cake, because otherwise, it's really cute!

Sue said...

Thunks...that's what happens when you fall flat on your face after making simple spelling mistakes.

Rebecca F. said...

Oh dear. These wrecks just may take the cake.

Bwahahahahaha!

What is with the humungo strawberries on that little cake? Awful.

Melissa (& Billy) said...

It's too bad the last one went "thunk"...the cake is rather charming.

I think every wreckorator needs to have a copy of Strunk and White's near to hand. 0_o

Half Assed Kitchen said...

Stay in school or you may end up as a cake decorator at a grocery store. Not that there's anything wrong with that...if you do it well.

Angie (from over at www.HalfAssedKitchen.com)

little gator said...

The first cake has nice roses.

blackberry said...

Get some help.

MalMal said...

I am seriously mourning that second cake. It's so gorgeous, that lettering is lovely. And then they have to go ruin it...
Also, I'm agreeing with jello shots with limes, or perhaps lime margaritas as the "drinks."

For some reason, the little rose torpedoes made me lol on Lucy's Good cake. It's like the big white rose is the Mothership sending out her little minion roses to conquer the world or something....

I'm very confused about the Braidal SHoer. Why the random capitalized H? What does that even mean? Would Bri not know where she was? Perhaps her name is not Bri at all, but they were trying to spell Bride and just gave up... Which was probably the right thing to do in the end...

Judy said...

Christina Alligator...I am SOOOO with you. That definitely how a Scottish bride would sound. LOL

Anonymous said...

Does the first cake get any credit for at least spelling congratulation correctly(minus the S)...which is usually quite a problem for cake decorators?....On second thought, NO!

Trish said...

Wow! That Good by Lucy cake is a hideous shade of grey. Bleah.

What exactly is a Braidal Shoer? Sounds like some kind of spine alignment thing.

I have to say that the Thunks cake is sad on more than one level; it has CRUNCHIES on it!!! I LOVE those delicious, sugary crunchy things, but could never consume it with the cigarette stubbed out on it. What a waste of crunchies!! I coulda looked past the spelling oopsie...:(

A Joyful Chaos said...

I love your blog, these cake wrecks make my day!

Anonymous said...

I think the Braidal SHoer cake is a wink at Bri's accent. Perhaps she's Cockney or from Newfoundland??

Doesn't explain the random caPitAliZatin though...

Alli said...

God bless ya! Me thinks the braidal shoer cake is for me lassie, Bri!

MzHartz said...

You forgot to dot your "u".

;)

Dr. Julie said...

That last one looked more like "Jhunks" to me. Now that's inappropriate.

Anonymous said...

I appreciate that some people can't spell, and I'm one of those "naturally good spellers" as a general rule. I think the whole "world is ending" complaint is because people no longer take the same kind of pride in their work to make sure that it's done right the first time. My issue is this: If spelling is not your strong point, don't get into a career that relies heavily upon spelling, like professional writing, editing, advertising, and cake decorating. No one would willingly go into interior decorating if they were colorblind, would they?

Nessa said...

i look at your blog everyday and lemme just say i love it and all your crazy jokes!!! =)

Tara said...

What strikes me the most about the "Good by Lucy" cake (aside from the spelling) is that they were also too lazy to grab a piping bag of green icing to make the leaves and just did it all in white!

Anonymous said...

Apparently Abby's last 21st Birthday was not Happy either - perhaps she got arrested or something? Now she gets a do-over of her 21st birthday to make it legal AND happy. Lucky B****!

chow bella said...

It should be "now you're legal" not "your"...ugh. I get so pissed off when people don't know the difference between "you're" and "your."

Meg said...

This is just sad. It makes me wonder if these cake decorators are literate.

Anonymous said...

The last cake was corrected and they still came up with "Thunks"! You can see above the h and u that something was written in the icing and picked off.

~ L. K. said...

I'm fairly certain these decorators are not, in fact, literate.

Grammar* and spelling knowledge is a rare thing these days. I had positively WONDERFUL spelling as a child, however spellcheck has utterly ruined that for me. (People blame it for a reason. I get lazy. I don't try and spell correctly and I won't learn the correct spelling because instead of looking up the word and taking it to heart, I just right click and choose the word I want.)

I believe one of the better spelling attempts I've found is hour: hower.

* Grammar isn't taught in schools anymore, period. I came from a private school and the teachers hated teaching grammar. The students revolted as much as they could, so of course, the teachers hated to bring it up. So on essays, they'll mark what's wrong, etc, but they won't teach actual grammar in class. It was something you had to learn on your own (like how to read--and yes, even in private school people can barely read). If you read a lot, you'd get it. If you didn't, you had a problem.

Kateri said...

What is up with the cigarette butt stuck in the middle of that last cake?

Anonymous said...

Jen,

"Thunks" for writing Cake Wrecks!

*insert snicker here*

Jenn

Julie said...

I know, like, ten people have already said this....But Abby's cake is really pretty! It's such a shame that there's an error. I love the sparkly dots and the writing is really nice.

PS the word verification to post this is asking me to re-type the word 'gunhun.' What exactly is a gunhun?

Christina said...

The "thunks" cake is a Carvel ice cream cake. They are sold in most large supermarkets. I have seen some of the sheet type that say "Happy Birthday," however I am willing to bet that "thunks" was added after the fact.
Fantastic blog btw!

shnewell said...

@Ann Burlingham, no one is saying the world is ending because of poor spelling. The issue here is that the ability to spell properly would seem to be a necessary prerequisite of being a cake decorator. If you ordered a bridal shower cake and it said "Braidal SHoer," would you really want to pay for and then present that cake to your friend? I think not.

Kristine said...

Love it! Braidal Shoer! LOLOLOL

Unknown said...

The Braidal Shoer cake commentary by Jen had me cracking up already, but then Christina Alligator (et al.) and the Scottish bride jokes just made it even better. Thanks for the fun! :)

Lily Brown said...

the braidal shoer one reminds of the way my dad talks. He's Northern Irish so when we were buying a tower power shower he would call it a tarrr parrr sharrr. :D

Anonymous said...

Re the third disaster--technically that's just an arcane spelling, not a misspelling. Which is pretty cool.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, these are awesome. Still the best type of wreck.

Kristie said...

@ Amy B & L.K.

I felt the need to comment as I am a 2nd grade teacher...

Yes, some teachers teach "inventive spelling" (as we call it) as a way to ease children into learning common spelling patterns and to just get them writing and not worrying about how things are spelled. HOWEVER, this is not the ONLY way that spelling is taught hopefully. At the beginning of the school year, I tell my kids to spell words as best they can using what they know about letters and sounds. As they progress through the year, and know more, I expect more. It's like expecting a baby to walk before crawling; crawling leads to walking so you can't skip the crawling step- it's important. But the baby won't crawl forever.

And I wouldn't say grammar isn't taught anymore. I teach grammar to my students because it's important and I don't want them speaking and writing improper English. Some teachers may not teach grammar, but you are supposed to as it's in the state content standards. And yes, most people who are better readers are better at communication skills because they are constantly seeing and reading words which carries over into other areas.

Diana said...

the "thunks" cake was a cake my family had gotten for my brother for veteran's day. and thats a candle not a cigarette haha. we told the cake decorator that we wanted it to say "thanks" and to have the american flag above that. we got "thunks" and what looked like a french flag. sadly, we tried to fix it before i remembered to take a picture so the "T" in "thunks" really looked like a "D". hope you all enjoy it!

Anonymous said...

SHoer?

Why is the H capital?

Also, instead of the girls name, I think that's a piece of cheese.

Hyena Overlord said...

"thunks?"

If Lucy's cake is any indication of how they treated her it's no wonder she's leaving.

wv mices...more than one mice.:P

NancyDaQ said...

This is why I always open the box before leaving the bakery. Jeez...can the store manager not put up a list of commonly spelled "cake" words?

Grey said...

For some reason that last cake looks like it says "thinks" to me, that lonely candle dotting the I, and I relish the irony in it.

sendingtheclowns said...

Ann Burlingham said...
Oy with the "world is ending because people can't spell" complaints, people! Spelling is a talent, not a skill, in my opinion- some can do it, some can't - it doesn't map to intelligence. Also, written language is meant to represent spoken language - both forms change.
*********************
Maybe it doesn't "map to intelligence," but in my opinion, it can "map" to laziness, or lack of appropriate teaching.
What do you think dictionaries are for?
I think correct spelling IS a skill.
Of course language changes; that is one reason why dictionaries include popular "slang" words, over time.
A person who is at least a high school graduate WILL come across as lazy or ignorant if he or she spells like a first-grader,
especially when applying for a job, or to college. It's a real world out there. I believe that most of these misspellers are probably able to crack open a dictionary and learn to spell ANY word correctly.
I'm an optimist.

Lois CP said...

Echoing the two or three odd folks who noted that "good-by" is, in fact, perfectly correct. Y'alls look like morons making fun of it.

Clair said...

"Thunks" is now my new favorite cake wreak. I had to show it to my Mother who says "Jhunks? Like you have so much junk in your trunk from eating that cake it becomes Jhunks in your chunky trunks?" Now it is even BETTER!

iamkaz said...

I's like the "Braidal Shoer" cake, thunks!

green said...

No no, you see, Abby now OWNS legal.

See, makes more sense now.

Jenni said...

It makes one wonder if the braid for whom the braidal shoer was thrown was the same lady who had the gril. C:

WV: guixe - I don't know, but it sounds French.

Beki said...

Oh thank you - I mean Thunk you.
I needed that today

Fantastic as always.

Beki

Molly said...

Wow, the T in 'Thunks' really does look like it's been changed. I thought it looked like it used to be a D, which would make the cake say "Drunks". And then you confirm it looked like a D! with a French flag? Is this some kind of social commentary? Crazy.

But to your brother, spelled right and everything: Thanks!

freerange karma said...

Hey, that's my grat year cake! Thanks for posting it. :D

Anonymous said...

In defense of "good-by" -- the popular kids' book "Go, Dog, Go!" has a series of interactions between a boy and girl dog, regarding the attractiveness of the girl dog's hats, and at the end of every conversation they both say "Good-by" to each other. Perhaps that cake decorator was just raised on a classic of children's literature. :)

Or something.

Becci said...

Perhaps to celebrate her 21st birthday, Abby changed her name to Legal and the cake is correct, gramatically speaking?

Reba S.

:Candice: said...

I love this blog lol

-Candice

CHUNKS said...

I first I thought the last one said my nick name. Chunks!

Thunks works to . (Hahaha)

Wicked Witch of the West (Coast) said...

I had to say the "Braidal Shoer" one out loud at least 10 times before I figured it out. And SeaNymph was right, the thing on there *does* look like a doggie's rawhide chew

Gretchen said...

#4 looks like the culinary students were practicing and someone accidentally put the plaque in with the ones that are supposed to go on the cakes, and then the high school student who works in the afternoon blew it majorly!

And I agree with Nathalie, 'good-by' is fine, it's just the used tissues they piped onto the cake that I'm concerned with.

Anonymous said...

I read the writing on the "thunks" cake as "Drunks" =) T and h get into Dr quite well =)))
Heh =) I love this blog! =)

Glory von Hathor said...

I think you'll find the final cake is a badly formed Shrinks. The r is a little dodgy. I hestitate to think what interpretations they drew about the wreckorators early childhood.

Marjorie said...

Ann Burlingham said...
Oy with the "world is ending because people can't spell" complaints, people! Spelling is a talent, not a skill, in my opinion-
some can do it, some can't - it doesn't map to intelligence. Also, written language is meant to represent spoken language - both forms change.

I agree that correct spelling (or the lack of it) is not automatically a indictor of intelligence but poor spelling and grammar come across as ignorant and/or careless, particularly in a professional capacity.

I am not a natural speller - it is something I find difficult, especially if I am writing by hand as opposed to typing, but I *know* that I don't spell well, so I have made the effort to learn the correct spelling of words whcih I need regularly, and when I am writing something important (business letters, notices etc) I take the time and trouble to check spellings where necessary.

Spellign is much easier for some people than others, but (for almost everyone)it can be learned, and incorrect spelling, whetehr on a 'professional' cake or in a business communication, looks sloppy, and implies ignorance or carelessness or both.

I don't think the world is coming to an end, and of course spelling and use of words both change over time, but if someone has ordered and paid for a cake they have a reasonable expectation that it will be in line with the generally accepted correct spelling.

If you order a professional prduct, you expect it to be produced professionally.

dogface said...

Abby, isn't good to know that whoever decorated your cake got an early start on celebrating your 21st birthday? :D

Word verification: chest

Appropriate, I suppose, if you tend to lose a lot of self-control while drinking. :D

Becci said...

Argghhh. I realized it still wouldn't be correct if Abby had changed her name to Legal, and have spent hours trying to come up with some way to make it correct. i just can't.

Reba S.

holly said...

I kinda thought the limes? on Abby's cake looked like fat green caterpillars crawling out.

See Jen, I check your blog first thing in the morning! Only thing is, I think my morning comes earlier than yours since you haven't put up anything yet! :)

Jalula said...

What's with the dot over the "u" on the last cake? It's like they couldn't decide if it should be a "u" or an "i" so they dotted it just in case.

SherriZ said...

I didn't read the 108 comments before mine but did anyone notice that on the second cake, "your" should have been "you're"?

Mari said...

This is really grat, grat job!

Jacki said...

holy mother, I can't breathe!!!! braidal shoers!!!

Anonymous said...

the 21st birthday cake uses the wrong spelling of you're. they put your instead.

Anonymous said...

Oh my giddy aunt. I think that the Braidal Shoer may come up next to "It a gril" in my list of favorites.

And for Ann: no the world isn't coming to an end because of bad spelling. But there is a reasonable expectation that cake decorators should be able to spell the rather limited amount of words that they use. And they should be able to deal with appropriate capitalization as well. It's only a courtesy to the people that they're working for. If these were cakes lovingly prepared by a friend or family member, it would be sweet and funny and not an issue. But if you have to pay for something it should be professional. And part of being professional is doing something right--and in a manner that the people who ordered the cake can actually understand what is written there.

And it's not like we're talking about a huge lexicon here; congratulations, bridal shower, it's a girl, you're legal now. That isn't asking a great deal. Especially if it's been paid for.

And if somebody, somewhere has figured out what Falker Satherhood is, please let us all know.

Anonymous said...

Aw, it's a pity, too... the lettering on the legal cake is very nice!

Lovely handwritten font.
Grammar Fail.

Jessica Hanley said...

I think that last cake is a piece of "Jhunks." Hahahaaaaaa.

Sven said...

Perhaps that last cake was iced by a kiwi.

Miranda said...

Ann, dear heart, are you a wreckerator?

*extends hand*

I'm a copy editor. Aside from my nine-to-five, I do freelance proofing and editing at reasonable rates.

Nina Suluh said...

You all just don't understand... The "Grat Year" is not a misspelling. It's a cake celebrating the awesomeness of Squall's heiny-whooping of the Grats in Balamb Garden's Training Area. Sheesh. He was having a >Grat< year and was able to gain some mad skillz and stuff.

Anonymous said...

Try saying Braidal Shoer with an Irish accent...much more amusing!

Gwenn

Anonymous said...

Okay, is it me, or does the s on "Thunks" look like some wrongly small capital Q, I mean, I know that it's in cursive, and that it is fairly hard to write with frosting, but that's what I thought it was at first.

RMP said...

Is it just me or do the petals around the flower on the Lucy cake look...never mind.