Harvard's finest Best Buy employees are not.

[Mr Hero]

My friend recommended a game to me and since I trust his recommendations, I called around hoping to find it. My favorite game store didn't have it, so I had to call the 2 Game Stops that are within a half mile of each other. No luck.

So I started with some of the non-specialty stores. Best Buy was the first on my call list. Now I don't expect employees of these types of stores to know the ins and outs of the video game industry, but it's not like I was requesting a game that had a proper noun that no one's heard of. Furthermore, it wasn't an overly difficult word. I'd have had some sympathy if I was looking to get Valkyrie Profile. Side note: comments on this title are welcome if you've played it.

Me: Hi I'm looking for a game for the DS called Magician's Quest.
BBE: Start's punching on the computer. I'm sorry but nothing's showing up.
Me: Thank you for your time.
BBE: Let me make sure I'm spelling it correctly. m-a-g-i-c-a-n's quest?
Me: No, it's m-a-g-i-c-I-a-n's quest.
BBE: Oh I didn't know "magician" had 2 I's in it.

I do have to give BBE props for at least admitting the possibility that she may not have spelled it correctly. Her boss would have been happy because this led to a sale.

It's not like I go there as often as SC's say they go, or that I'm as good of a customers as SC's claim to be, but hey $30 is $30.

[ArcticChicken]

Honestly, if you're not into fantasy, it's entirely possible to have not encountered the word "magician" enough that you know how to spell it, especially if spelling isn't your strong suit.

[NightWatch]

Yeah, apparently the English language is one of the most difficult to master because the grammar rules are so often broken. That, and we no longer use conjugation, which from what I can tell, most other languages still do. Anyway, even a native speaker can be sharp as a tack and have shit for spelling skills. Plus American schools are crap. (I'm an American, I spent some time in public school, I can knock it all I want.)
I'm glad you found your game though. I'm on a quest to obtain a copy of The Hobb's Bargain by Patricia Briggs, so far, all the copies I found are at the cheapest, $200.

[MoxisPilot]

Wait, she had a problem with "magician"...but not with "quest"???

I had the hardest time with words beginning with Q when I was a kid...

[Calud]

Yeah, apparently the English language is one of the most difficult to master because the grammar rules are so often broken.

I'm not sure about that. I speak three languages fluently and I'm sure English isn't the hardest of those three...

[smileyeagle1021]

I'm not sure about that. I speak three languages fluently and I'm sure English isn't the hardest of those three...

I'm assuming English and French are two... what's the third which is so hard?

[PupuTupuna]

I'm assuming English and French are two... what's the third which is so hard?

Finnish, perhaps?

[Calud]

English, German and Polish. Polish is a pain.

[dianek93]

(Derail)

I'm on a quest to obtain a copy of The Hobb's Bargain by Patricia Briggs, so far, all the copies I found are at the cheapest, $200.

If you are looking for just a reading copy, you are TOTALLY looking in the wrong places! (And spelling Hob with two B's)

Amazon, cheapy normal prices! At least, like I said, if you are just looking for a reading copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Hobs-Bargain-P.../dp/0441008135

(On topic)

I've always been a naturally good speller, so anytime I see stuff misspelled, it bothers me. But lately, my spelling has been going bad, I think from not actually writing anything, so I bother myself all the time with bad spelling now. Woohoo. lol

[KaeZoo]

My wife worked in the Gaming department at Best Buy for several years. She happens to be dyslexic.

I often have to help her with spelling even fairly simple words, but I don't mistake that for a lack of intelligence. Granted, while she does have a B.A., it's not from Harvard.

I don't mean to sound offended or angry here. I just want to point out, it's unfair (and unwise) to judge someone based on her ability to spell a word.

[Chanlin]

English, German and Polish. Polish is a pain.

French and English have had such a large influence on one another historically they are actually very similar in terms of sentence structure and some of the rules. They of course are not exactly the same.

Now for someone who is a native speaker of say Mandarin or Japanese where the rules are completely different then it gets harder.

I could go on at length and detail about the history of the development of English but I'd rather not get too far off topic

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've read that English and Russian are two of the hardest to learn...

[NightWatch]

(Derail)



If you are looking for just a reading copy, you are TOTALLY looking in the wrong places! (And spelling Hob with two B's)

Amazon, cheapy normal prices! At least, like I said, if you are just looking for a reading copy.

http://www.amazon.com/Hobs-Bargain-P.../dp/0441008135

This is where I fail, wrong book. I can't think of the title right now. But it was the first book she published and there was only a first edition. It's especially frustrating because it's the first book in a trilogy and I can't start reading it on book 2!! That's just insanity.

[Munkie]

I've always had trouble spelling ancient... not so much anymore, but it was the one word i just could not spell. it drives me up the walls when I see misspelled words, and even correct British spelling - despite our language having been bred there. I love the ins and outs of language, despite the complexity of it.

Haha and I've just noticed that the only red spell-check lines in this post are under the first word of this line!

[Munkie]

This is where I fail, wrong book. I can't think of the title right now. But it was the first book she published and there was only a first edition. It's especially frustrating because it's the first book in a trilogy and I can't start reading it on book 2!! That's just insanity.

Perhaps this cover is the one you're thinking of? One can always find an author's homepage when one looks for it :P

Patricia Biggs Author Homepage