“Lapsus calami” is a Latin phrase meaning a written slip, which can be funny, revealing, or embarrassing. Even with spell checkers, errors can occur, and zoologists have a specific name for a slip involving scientific names. Freudian slips can also occur. Double-checking written material is important to avoid mistakes.
The phrase “lapsus calami” is Latin for “a slip.” Basically, it’s the written equivalent of a slip, a slip that can be funny, unintentionally revealing, or embarrassing, depending on the circumstances and the slip. A slip of the tongue can take the form of a spelling or grammar mistake, a spoon, where letters are swapped, or the substitution of an entire word or phrase. Even in the age of the spell checker, pen (or keyboard) errors can still occur, because spell checkers don’t detect word substitutions, double words, or homonyms.
This term has its origins in zoology and taxonomy, where people often misspell scientific names, especially when they haven’t studied Latin. Although Latin was once the preferred language of educated individuals, making the use of Latin for scientific names very sensible, today this language is much less studied. This can make researchers error-prone when trying to remember the spelling of a scientific name.
Zoologists actually have a specific name for a slip of the tongue involving a scientific name; it is known as a nomen nullum, a “null name”. The spelling of scientific names can be further complicated by disputes over an organism’s scientific name, especially when a scientific name is derived from the name of the person who discovered the organism or from the place where it was discovered.
Sometimes, a calami slip takes the form of a Freudian slip, where thoughts from the subconscious mind rise to the surface and express themselves on paper. In these situations, the resulting mistake can sometimes be demeaning to the person making it, especially if she has been obsessing over a specific person or action and this obsession creeps into a written communication.
We all make slips from time to time, especially when we’re working fast, or when we’re distracted, distracting ourselves from our work. While such mistakes can’t always be avoided, remember that it’s a very good idea to double-read written material carefully before passing it on to someone else. Sometimes a quick review will pick up a glaring error. If the document is particularly important, you could ask a friend to look at it, because we sometimes overlook a slip of the tongue or two when reviewing written work.
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