Proofreading Trivia

Last night, we went to a trivia night at our children's school. Sadly, our team did not win, nor place among the top three, although we did have an enjoyable night, with lots of laughs and fun.

However, as can happen when one starts losing and wants to deflect attention from one's own inadequacies, another member of our team and I did consider requesting that certain questions be deemed invalid on the grounds of incorrect spelling or punctuation. As the MC for the night read each question, it was also displayed on the large screen behind him.

The following questions were, to us, in question:

1. What was Will Smith's sons name in the film, "The Pursuit of Happyness"?

Our gripe was that it was not clear whether there was more than one son in the film, let alone why they shared a name at all. Had the question read - What was Will Smith's son's name in the film, "The Pursuit of Happyness" - it would have been perfectly clear what was being asked (but, just between you and me, I still wouldn't have known the answer!).

2. Which team did St Kilda loose to in the 1996 AFL grand final?

Of course, it's not possible for 'loose' to be used as a verb. It is an adjective, as in, 'I pulled out my loose tooth'. Lose/loose are commonly substituted for each other. Correctly written, the question should have read - Which team did St Kilda lose to in the 1996 AFL grand final? Of course, Adelaide Crows fans might prefer the question be completely reworked to say - Which team did the Adelaide Crows beat in the 1996 AFL grand final?

I must admit that even had we acted upon our, admittedly, mean-spirited grievance, I secretly think there would have been no difference to the outcome! We needed more than two extra points to change the results of the evening.

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