When A Spelling Error Can Prove Fatal

Earlier this month, my attention was drawn to an article
published on the BBC news website on the importance of good
spelling. Particularly intriguing was a related news addendum on
the page of one Mr Philip Davison-Sebry who had sued Companies
House (which listed on its website as part of its functions “to
register all business firms in the UK and close a company) for £8.8
million for a spelling error that he claimed dealt a devastating
blow on his business firm. What actually happened?

A company by the name Taylor & Son (singular) had filed for
dissolution with Companies House in 2009. However, what Companies
House actually registered and made public was that Taylor &
Sons (plural) (which is another business name, that of Mr Philip
Davison-Sebry’s firm) had wound up. Of course, the obvious mix-up
was letter “s”. In his testimony, Davison-Sebry claimed that he
lost his best customer, a potential £3 million contract, among
other things because of the spelling error. Though the error was
corrected three days later, the damage had already been done as Mr
Davison-Sebry claimed his business clients and suppliers couldn’t
be convinced that his firm hasn’t wound up. Describing the impact
of the fatal error, Davison-Sebry’s lawyer said, “The business of
the company was, effectively, irreparably destroyed. The business
was damaged so as to become of no value.” Though Companies House
denied that there is a link between their “wrong” action and the
failure of Mr Philip Davison-Sebry’s company, in March this year,
the BBC reported that the two parties “have agreed to confidential
terms of settlement and the case has now concluded.”

In a similar case, one Pentecostal church in Nigeria had sent
one of her pastors abroad to establish a branch of the church
there. In no time, the church prospered. Subsequently, the mother
church in Nigeria felt the need to transfer this pastor elsewhere
and trouble brewed and it ended in court. This pastor took the case
to court, claiming the church was his and established that the
branch of the church he pastored abroad has no connection with the
mother church in Nigeria. His claim was that the name of his church
is Prayer and Word Pentecostal Church (not real name), not The
Prayer and Word Pentecostal Church, which is the name of the mother
church in Nigeria. Of course, in a clime where significant
importance is attached to seemingly insignificant details like the
number of times a footballer touched the ball on the field, number
of passes completed in a match, assists provided, etc., the pastor
won. The error—omission of article “the”—willed ownership of the
church to him.

As an undergraduate, I had wished I stayed abroad too. I knew I
could claim damages for being misled by a bank advert encouraging
fresh students to open an account. The advert of the bank read:
“Open an account and win a laptop”. I had pointed a friend’s
attention to the advert and joked that if I were in the UK or the
US, I would have opened an account with the bank and would have
immediately requested my laptop—the promised aftermath of opening
the account. So, I said to my friend that the advert should have
read: “Open an account and stand a chance to win a laptop”.
Unfortunately, a number of Nigerian commercial banks still
semantically default in their adverts.

And there is the story of a man who had planned vacationing with
his wife but the wife could not make it eventually. He went alone
nonetheless but kept in touch with his wife via telegram. During
this time, he had something to share with his wife. He went to the
telegrapher and dictated the following words to the telegrapher:
“Having a nice time, wish you were here.” However, the telegrapher
typed and sent the following: “Having a nice time, wish you were
her.” Obviously, just letter “e” is missing in that statement but
its omission ruined the intended message and probably the marriage
too.

The impact of an error can be devastating. Everyone is prone to
error, Nigerians would say, but why make it an ambition and a
nature!

Banji Odurombi teaches English at Redeemer’s
International Academy, Ifewara, Osun State

Earlier this month, my attention was drawn to an article
published on the BBC news website on the importance of good
spelling. Particularly intriguing was a related news addendum on
the page of one Mr Philip Davison-Sebry who had sued Companies
House (which listed on its website as part of its functions “to
register all business firms in the UK and close a company) for £8.8
million for a spelling error that he claimed dealt a devastating
blow on his business firm. What actually happened?

A company by the name Taylor & Son (singular) had filed for
dissolution with Companies House in 2009. However, what Companies
House actually registered and made public was that Taylor &
Sons (plural) (which is another business name, that of Mr Philip
Davison-Sebry’s firm) had wound up. Of course, the obvious mix-up
was letter “s”. In his testimony, Davison-Sebry claimed that he
lost his best customer, a potential £3 million contract, among
other things because of the spelling error. Though the error was
corrected three days later, the damage had already been done as Mr
Davison-Sebry claimed his business clients and suppliers couldn’t
be convinced that his firm hasn’t wound up. Describing the impact
of the fatal error, Davison-Sebry’s lawyer said, “The business of
the company was, effectively, irreparably destroyed. The business
was damaged so as to become of no value.” Though Companies House
denied that there is a link between their “wrong” action and the
failure of Mr Philip Davison-Sebry’s company, in March this year,
the BBC reported that the two parties “have agreed to confidential
terms of settlement and the case has now concluded.”

In a similar case, one Pentecostal church in Nigeria had sent
one of her pastors abroad to establish a branch of the church
there. In no time, the church prospered. Subsequently, the mother
church in Nigeria felt the need to transfer this pastor elsewhere
and trouble brewed and it ended in court. This pastor took the case
to court, claiming the church was his and established that the
branch of the church he pastored abroad has no connection with the
mother church in Nigeria. His claim was that the name of his church
is Prayer and Word Pentecostal Church (not real name), not The
Prayer and Word Pentecostal Church, which is the name of the mother
church in Nigeria. Of course, in a clime where significant
importance is attached to seemingly insignificant details like the
number of times a footballer touched the ball on the field, number
of passes completed in a match, assists provided, etc., the pastor
won. The error—omission of article “the”—willed ownership of the
church to him.

As an undergraduate, I had wished I stayed abroad too. I knew I
could claim damages for being misled by a bank advert encouraging
fresh students to open an account. The advert of the bank read:
“Open an account and win a laptop”. I had pointed a friend’s
attention to the advert and joked that if I were in the UK or the
US, I would have opened an account with the bank and would have
immediately requested my laptop—the promised aftermath of opening
the account. So, I said to my friend that the advert should have
read: “Open an account and stand a chance to win a laptop”.
Unfortunately, a number of Nigerian commercial banks still
semantically default in their adverts.

And there is the story of a man who had planned vacationing with
his wife but the wife could not make it eventually. He went alone
nonetheless but kept in touch with his wife via telegram. During
this time, he had something to share with his wife. He went to the
telegrapher and dictated the following words to the telegrapher:
“Having a nice time, wish you were here.” However, the telegrapher
typed and sent the following: “Having a nice time, wish you were
her.” Obviously, just letter “e” is missing in that statement but
its omission ruined the intended message and probably the marriage
too.

The impact of an error can be devastating. Everyone is prone to
error, Nigerians would say, but why make it an ambition and a
nature!

Banji Odurombi teaches English at Redeemer’s
International Academy, Ifewara, Osun State