Line #63 Main/AutoIncorrect


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6	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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11	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/autocorrect_fail.jpg]]
12	[[caption-width-right:350:[[https://www.grammarly.com/blog/autocorrect-text-fails/ Dam ewe, autocorrect!]]]]
13
14	->''"So I scroll back to read what she read, and apparently, my stupid [=iPhone=] has this memory spell-check feature, and it didn't recognize the word 'Cinebar'. It flipped it and turned it into 'Cinnabon'. So apparently, at 10 o'clock at night, my girlfriend thought I was having cinnamon rolls with my friend Martin."''
15	-->--'''Creator/GabrielIglesias'''[[labelnote:Context]]Cinebar is [[{{Portmanteau}} a bar decorated with cinema memorabilia]].[[/labelnote]]
16
17	[[JustForFun/DescribeTopicHere Deprive topping hare.]] [[SelfDemonstratingArticle Oh duck, not again...]]
18
19	Autocorrect and speech-to-text software are a great help to users of electronic devices, but they're not perfect. They often pick the wrong words, and sometimes the user fails to catch it before hitting "Send". The resulting mistakes can be anything from cringeworthy to hilarious.
20
21	Mostly hilarious. In fiction, this trope is almost always [[PlayedForLaughs used for comedic purposes]]. Typically the error is caught quickly and the user sends an embarrassed correction, but [[RuleOfFunny sometimes it's funnier if they don't]] and [[LiteralMinded the recipient takes it literally]].
22
23	This is a very new trope, as this kind of autocorrect error really only became common in the popular consciousness with the post-2000 proliferation of touchscreen smartphones and tablets. It did exist on a smaller scale before that in word processor programs, though. In pre-smartphone times it was sometimes called the "Cupertino Effect" due to an oversight by Creator/{{Apple}}: their spellchecker was inexplicably missing the word "cooperation", but did have the town name [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupertino,_California "Cupertino"]] because Apple is headquartered there, so the common typo "coopertino" got corrected to the name of the town.
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25	SisterTrope of AcquiredErrorAtThePrinter, where a print shop makes a mistake after the original creator submits the work, and VirtualAssistantBlunder, where a voice recognition input device, e.g. [[Creator/{{Apple}} Siri]] or [[Creator/{{Amazon}} Alexa]], misunderstands a user command or misinterprets something as a command that wasn't, causing unintended operation. Can overlap with RougeAnglesOfSatin if the mistake is spelled similarly to the intended word, as well as GoshDangItToHeck due to many autocorrect programs not recognizing profanity as legitimate words. Compare FunWithAutocensors, FunWithSubtitles, and VideoCallFail. Can lead to PoorCommunicationKills if PlayedForDrama.
26	----
27	!!In-Utero Examine Only! (Goddammit! That's Administrivia/InUniverseExamplesOnly!)
28
29	[[foldercontrol]]
30
31	[[folder:Appetizing (GAH! I mean Advertising!)]]
32	* When promotion for ''Film/AvengersInfinityWar'' told fans that [[DoNotSpoilThisEnding #ThanosDemandsYourSilence]], Creator/RyanReynolds riffed on it for ''Film/Deadpool2'' with [[HashtagForLaughs #WadeWilsonDemandsYourSisterSorryStupidAutoCorrectSilence]].
33	* A radio ad for the Motel 6 chain features [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Bodett Tom Bodett]] using his smartphone to type up the ad. His phone's auto-correct feature [[ExaggeratedTrope takes things further]] by replacing correctly spelled words with other correctly spelled words that sound similar.
34	--> '''Bodett:''' ...Try to follow along as I say that, at Motel 6, you can get still get a clam, comforter roam for the loamiest rice of any national chin. Huh, that last port sounded a brittle bit foamy. Anyway, you can brook by carving 1-800-4-MOTEL-6, online, or with our new mobile applesauce on your smartphone or toilet. Yelp, after all these yarns, you can still get mortar for what you trowel for. Well, that made no sentence at all. Man, I hate this docking thong. I'm Tom Bordeaux for Motel 6, and we'll heave the bright on form you. Oy. Close enough.
35	[[/folder]]
36
37	[[folder:Comic Stripe (STRIPS! Comic STRIPS!)]]
38	* In ''ComicStrip/{{Frazz}}'', Caulfield's 2015 literature-inspired Halloween costume was inspired by running [[Literature/{{Jabberwocky}} "Jabberwocky"]] through autocorrect.
39	-->''Two Brillos on his silly toes\
40	did gyrate nimbly in the water\
41	All mimes bourgeoisie\
42	And Mom roots adorably''
43	* ''ComicStrip/MadamAndEve'': Done in [[http://www.madamandeve.co.za/cartoons/me007087.jpg this comic.]]
44	-->"Time for my gym and tongue it!"
45	* ''ComicStrip/PhoebeAndHerUnicorn'': In [[http://www.gocomics.com/phoebe-and-her-unicorn/2012/10/28 this Sunday strip]], Marigold transports Phoebe onto a mountain, claiming that Phoebe texted her to bring her mountains. Phoebe is confused, since she recalls asking Marigold to bring her ''mittens'', so she checks her phone and realizes her phone autocorrected the word Mittens to Mountains.
46	* ''ComicStrip/OnTheFastrack'' has a character ''named'' autocorrect (she's an anthromorphic bee -- a "spelling bee"), and is married to the Y2K bug.
47	[[/folder]]
48
49	[[folder:Dan Works (I mean FAN Works!)]]
50	* [[https://aenor-llelo.tumblr.com/tagged/incorrect+quotes Aenor-Llelo]]: One of the incorrect ''WebAnimation/MysterySkullsAnimated'' quotes [[https://aenor-llelo.tumblr.com/post/180415403116/arthur-not-the-english-major-kingsmen-being features]] Arthur comforting Lewis over text, only for his autocorrect to misspell "make" as "bake". He then attempts to backpedal, but Lewis has already gone to work trying to cook his problems away.
51	* The ''Neon Genesis Evangelion'' fic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1519057/1/Eva-Menagerie Eva Menagerie]]''[='=]s last published chapter begins with a memo from Gendo on various new measures for the pilots' safety and well-being. Auto-correct turns it into a memo requiring pilots and staff to engage in various obscene acts with each other. As Fuyutsuki guesses and Gendo confirms, [[spoiler:[[ForTheLulz he did it on purpose]]]].
52	[[/folder]]
53
54	[[folder:Yolks (JOKES!)]]
55	* A priest, a minister and a rabbit walk into a bar. The bartender says to the rabbit, "What'll you have?" The rabbit says, "I have no idea. [[MediumAwareness I'm only in this joke]] because of auto-correct."[[labelnote:Explanation]]It's a riff on the "priest, minister, and '''rabbi'''" joke format.[[/labelnote]]
56	* The person who invented autocorrect should burn in he'll.
57	** The person who invented autocorrect has died. Restaurant in pieces.
58	* Autocorrect has become my worst enema.
59	[[/folder]]
60
61	[[folder:Litter (It was supposed to be LITERATURE!)]]
62	* ''Literature/AlexRider'': Deliberately invoked by the NebulousEvilOrganisation Scorpia in ''Scorpia Rising'', who plan to lead [=MI6=] into a trap by sending Alex to investigate a college in Egypt. They arrange for a former member of the organisation's executive board to be found dead in London with various pieces of evidence linking him to the college; one of them is a phone with a text message referring to a vicar. [=MI6=] eventually work out, in conjunction with several of the other clues left for them, that if you type the college's initials (CICAE, Cairo International College of Arts and Education) into an [=iPhone=] it autocorrects to "vicar", leading them to believe the college is the target without being aware they're being set up.
63	* In arc 37 of ''Literature/HereticalEdge'', while Flick and company are attempting to rescue Avalon from Manakel, Koren interrogates a pixie who might have information about him, then sends Flick a text that ends with "Manakel's decorating". It turns out Koren had learned something significant about Manakel, but she'd made a typo in the message, her autocorrect had assumed she meant a different word than she did, and Manakel had captured her before she could resend the message she meant to send: [[spoiler:"Manakel's security", as in "Manakel is [[DemonicPossession possessing]] the head of security"]].
64	* In ''Literature/RealMermaids Don't Need High Heels'', Jade tries to text her boyfriend Luke Martin that his adopted brother Trey could use some brotherly tips. Autocorrect turns it into "brotherly chips," "lobsterly tips," and "lobsterly lips" before Jade gives up.
65	* ''Literature/TheWordIsMurder'': PlayedForDrama and related to NotQuiteTheRightThing. Diana sends her son Damian a final text that says "I have seen the boy who was lacerated and I'm afraid". When Horowitz and Hawthorne see the description that Diana ran down a boy and left him with severe brain lacerations, they assume she's referring to him. [[spoiler:She isn't. She meant to type "the boy who was [[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} Laertes]]", which identified both the murder and his motive for murder. Her phone autocorrected it to "lacerated".]]
66	[[/folder]]
67
68	[[folder:Lime-Acorn TP (Stupid phone! LIVE-ACTION TV!)]]
69	* PlayedForDrama in one episode of ''Series/TheGoodWife''. Lockhart & Gardner defends a teen accused of starting the Silk Road black market sales site. Their client uses speech-to-text software because of a disability, and Kalinda realizes he's lying about his innocence when she finds a typo in an email from Silk Road's mystery founder that only makes sense coming from a mistake in speech recognition. The firm is forced to drop him as a client because they now know he perjured himself.
70	* ''Series/HollywoodGameNight'': Jane Lynch once returned from commercial with (paraphrased) "Welcome back to ''Hollywood Game Night''; I'm June Launch. Damn you, autocorrect."
71	* ''Series/TheMuppetsMayhem'': In the episode "Virtual Insanity", Dr Teeth's fondness for {{Perfectly Cromulent Word}}s results in the Mayhem accidentally starting a feud with ''the whole of music'' when his tweet "To our fellow music makers. You're absotively tremendulous. You are all truly talenticious with stupenderous fans" gets sent as "To our fellow music makers. You're absolutely terrible. You are all truly talentless with stupid fans."
72	* ''Series/TheOrder'': The show uses PopUpTexting, since most of the characters are millennial college students. In one episode, main character Jack is having life-threatening complications, his LoveInterest Alyssa is elsewhere trying to help, checks in via text (fellow werewolf Lilith answers Jack's phone).
73	-->'''Alyssa:''' Haven't heard from you in awhile. Everything alright?\
74	'''"Jack":''' Everything's fixed.\
75	'''"Jack":''' Everything's FUCKED!\
76	'''"Jack":''' Fixing autocorrect.
77	* A 2021 episode of ''Series/PressYourLuck'' asked the contestants what feature would have failed them if they meant to text "You look so good" but instead texted "You look so food." The answer, of course, is autocorrect.
78	* ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'': Angela sent Jane a message that said "Homie, I need a boner." She really meant "Honey, I need a loaner."
79	[[/folder]]
80
81	[[folder:Mucus (Oh for the love... MUSIC!)]]
82	* Music/TheGregoryBrothers: The song "Penguin On Me (Autocorrect Love Song)" features two lovers attempting to communicate through text, but are thwarted by their phone's autocorrect feature, which changes all of their messages into random nonsense, none of which resembling anything similar to the original messages.
83	[[/folder]]
84
85	[[folder:Patio (No! RADIO!)]]
86	* ''Radio/WaitWaitDontTellMe'':
87	** The correct answer for a "Bluff the Listener" quiz about prom trends involved the kids at a high school all [[https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1027416715 wearing pastries instead of flowers as a joke]] after somebody's smartphone autocorrected a text about their date's corsage to "croissant".
88	** The [[https://www.npr.org/programs/wait-wait-dont-tell-me/1240301452/wait-wait-for-march-23-2024-with-not-my-job-guest-laurene-powell-jobs 23 March 2024]] episode had UsefulNotes/SteveJobs's widow Laurene Powell Jobs, a noted philanthropist, as the "Not My Job" guest. Peter joked at the beginning of the episode that he was going to have to ad-lib the entire segment "because thanks to autocorrect, I was preparing all week to talk to the nation's most well-known ''philanderer''."
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Standard Company (STAND-UP COMEDY!)]]
92	* Creator/GabrielIglesias once recounted a story where he and his girlfriend got [=iPhones=] and started texting each other, eventually leading to this trope when he got drunk. Knowing he's too drunk to keep a lie straight, he insists on telling the truth, and mentions the name of the locale, "Cinebar". Autocorrect didn't recognize it, and turned it into Cinnabon, a brand of cinnamon rolls.
93	-->'''Gabriel:''' Which normally, would sound like an ugly lie, but considering her boyfriend is known as [[BigEater the "fluffy guy" who loves "chocolate cake"]], it sounds real. I was like, "Oh, my god! Martin, check it out! [[Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad My iPhone lied for me]]!"
94	* On one of his Australian tours, Creator/RossNoble (who is a motorcycle fan) told a story about going to Philip Island to see the Superbike World Championship (often abbreviated to 'WSBK'). He texted his friend in the UK "Going to Philip Island for WSBK", only to get back a confusing message. When he reread his original text, he discovered that autocorrect had converted 'WSBK' to 'WANKS', presumably leading his friend to assume he has a [[BestialityIsDepraved bizarre sexual interest in penguins]].
95	-->'''Ross:''' ''And to make it worse, it was plural!''
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:Beater (Oh GOD, no! I meant Theatre!)]]
99	* ''Theatre/BeMoreChill'': During "The Smartphone Hour," where all the students are texting each other about [[spoiler:Rich setting Jake's house on fire]], Brooke remarks that Rich is "flecked," before clarifying that she meant "fucked" and her autocorrect changed it. The ensemble then sings, "Always be aware of autocorrect!"
100	* ''Theatre/MeanGirls'': When Cady sends a text to Aaron about Regina cheating on him, the first half of the message is "regionals is chewing on you". The second half of the message involving a "lion costume" is thought to be this by Aaron, but was actually sent correctly.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Violin Gums (VIDEO GAMES! AAAAAAAAHHH!)]]
104	* In ''VideoGame/AncientDomainsOfMystery'', there's some kind of an autocorrect for typing in wishes so that you don't miss a wish because of a misspelling. If you wish for "mindcraft" (a class ability only for Mindcrafters), you instead get Woodcraft (a skill that can be acquired by anyone).
105	* ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddysSisterLocation'': The elevator from the start of each night has a glitchy keypad that makes proper inputs impossible, so the system will try to auto-correct to what it thinks you meant to type. On the first night, it will auto-correct your name to "Eggs Benedict" regardless of what you try to enter, and the second night's request for you to hit a number (on a keypad with no numbers) to select a companion voice auto-corrects to "Angsty Teen" when that wasn't even one of the listed options. More amusingly, the keypad lacks the letter "B", but all of the auto-corrects except for the aforementioned Angsty Teen include a B.
106	* Happens in one of Cassie Cage's intros in ''VideoGame/MortalKombat11''.
107	-->'''Daddy (Johnny Cage):''' I did LAUNDRY, no Lauren! OMG!!\
108	'''Cmdr Cage (Cassie Cage):''' Watch the autocorrect, Dad. ;D
109	* Despite the fact that ''VideoGame/NancyDrew: Ghost of Thornton Hall'' is a very dark game in general, the messages on Jessalyn's phone are really funny - mostly because Clara's autocorrect is acting up:
110	-->'''Clara:''' did y\
111	'''Clara:''' ou get the INVERTEBRATES[[note]]She's talking about invitations[[/note]]\
112	'''Jessalyn:''' What?\
113	'''Clara:''' INVERTEBRATES\
114	'''Jessalyn:''' Mom... that does not clarify things.\
115	'''Clara:''' INVERTEBRATES!!!!\
116	'''Jessalyn:''' Yes?\
117	'''Clara:''' NO INVERTEBRATES!!!!\
118	'''Jessalyn:''' I'll make a note of that. No invertebrates.\
119	'''Clara:''' I am sending this PHOTOGRAPH BACKWARDS!@!!!\
120	'''Jessalyn:''' Ok. I hope that works out for you.\
121	'''Clara:''' I am typing slowly, and angrily.
122	[[/folder]]
123
124	[[folder:Deb Collins (Oh for crying out! WEB COMICS!)]]
125	* ''Webcomic/DocRat'' has a [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_polecat zorilla]] show up at a vaccination clinic when he was expecting a gorilla instead thanks to this trope.
126	* One ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' strip has Zoe write a tweet advertising her radio station's show as superior to another. The autocorrect [[MistakenForRacist accidentally turns it into a racist rant]] because the (uncapitalized) last names of the hosts, Whelt and Balkmin, are changed to "whites" and "black men".
127	* Referenced in ''Webcomic/TwinDragons'', where Nate's [[UnspokenPlanGuarantee plan to deal with Larissa]] involves texting some contacts; [[https://www.twindragonscomic.com/comic/short-fuse/ the panel where he types the message]] includes the term "autocorrupt". (Incidentally, Robin admitted that this is based on a conversation in the comments [[https://www.twindragonscomic.com/comic/treat-or-trick/ a couple pages prior]] regarding a real-life example.)
128	* Spoofed in [[http://www.goominet.com/unspeakable-vault/vault/252/ this strip]] of ''Webcomic/TheUnspeakableVaultOfDoom''. Apparently, computer-generated pentacles aren't that great an idea.
129	-->'''Cthulhoo:''' For once, drawings are good, but using "Childhood" unstead ''[sic]'' of "Cthulhoo" and "Feting" for "Fhtagn" is more than a beginner's mistake.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder:Web Orientals! (Holy shit! No! Web ORIGINALS!)]]
133	* ''WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd'': In his review of ''VideoGame/MyHorsePrince'', the Nerd gets messages on his phone from The Damn Bunny, who is none other than WesternAnimation/BugsBunny. When the Nerd tries sending a message that says "Fuck you", his phone autocorrects it as "Duck you" twice. He then responds with "Fuck you, you ducking fuck".
134	* [[https://www.autocorrectfail.org/ Autocorrect Fail]] is an entire website dedicated to collecting funny autocorrect errors. [[https://www.autocorrectfail.org/grandma/ One safe-for-work example:]]
135	-->'''[[AliceAndBob Alice:]]''' where is granny I thought she was going to be here for thanksgiving?\
136	'''[[AliceAndBob Bob:]]''' Grandma is in the grave.\
137	'''Alice:''' what grave? what are you saying?\
138	'''Bob:''' Oops sorry garage\
139	'''Bob:''' Oh autocorrect
140	* ''WebVideo/DannyGonzalez'': In one video, Danny mocked a post that claimed mistakes made by politicians "become new laws" with a skit about a politician texting his wife about wanting to kiss her, only for it to auto-correct to ''kill''. Thus, it became legally obligated for everyone to kill their wives.
141	* ''WebVideo/{{Smosh}}'': The whole premise of "AUTOCORRECT FAIL" is Anthony trying to text Ian, only for autocorrect to mangle everything that he says into something inappropriate. This results in Ian [[MistakenForGay mistakenly thinking Anthony is trying to hit on him]].
142	* ''Website/SomethingAwful'': An amusing depiction of the Cupertino Effect, a character called [[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/jeff-uses-spellcheckar.php "Jeff K!!!!"]] who attempts to spellcheck his aggressively incorrect English.
143	[[/folder]]
144
145	[[folder:Wiskey Aluminum (WESTERN ANIMATION! Stop it!)]]
146	* ''WesternAnimation/TheAmazingWorldOfGumball'': The RunningGag in [[Recap/TheAmazingWorldOfGumballS4E30TheBus "The Bus"]] has Mr. Brown receive instructions from his phone, but they're auto corrected. When it turns out to be Rob, a.k.a. Dr. Wrecker, he complains how autocorrect never works.
147	* In the ''WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck'' short, "[=Computer.don=]", Donald orders a modern computer with voice recognition software. When he says his name, the computer addresses him as "Dewald", due to Donald's status as TheUnintelligible.
148	* ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'': In [[Recap/FamilyGuyS8E18QuagmiresDad "Quagmire's Dad"]], Quagmire introduces Peter and Joe to his father. As he tells a story overflowing with homoeroticism, Joe texts Peter a message saying "How gay is he?", and Peter texts back "So ducking gay."
149	-->'''Peter:''' That's my auto spell correct. But yeah, he's super gay.
150	* ''WesternAnimation/RegularShow'': In the episode [[Recap/RegularShowS05E26ILikeYouHi "I Like You Hi"]], Mordecai is texting CJ that he likes Yuji, but the autocorrect causes the sent message to be "I like you hi". He tried to cancel the message since he wasn't ready to start a relationship with CJ due to still missing Margaret. Yuji himself complains that the autocorrect always changes his name to "You Hi".
151	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
152	** "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E8LisaOnIce Lisa on Ice]]": When Martin Prince praises the school's new "Academic Alert" system, Kearney tells Dolph to take a memo on his Apple Newton (a device known for its autocorrect fails) "Beat up Martin" but it transcribes it into "Eat up Martha." Kearney then chucks the Newton into Martin. This scene was infamous with Apple employees during the development of the iPhone's keypad, with "Eat up Martha" being a nickname for screwing up inputs within the company.
153	** In [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS28E20MohoHouse "Moho House"]] when Moe texts Marge.
154	---> Can you come alone to Mono House?\
155	I mean Mohair House\
156	Milhouse\
157	Stupid autocorrect
158	[[/folder]]
159	----
160	->[[TheStinger *autocorrect.]] [[{{Irony}} Damn you, autocorrect!]]

Context Main / AutoIncorrect