I wish the authors would proofread

That is the original meaning of the phrase. "To get one's just desserts" is to receive exactly what one deserves. However the various alternate interpretations mentioend above are far more creative and could be used interestingly.

People often use a standard phrase with little or no awareness of its original meaning. For example the well known phrase "The exception proves the rule" which people take to mean that somehow finding an exception to a rule establishes its validity. Not at all. This uses an older meaning of "prove" still active in such uses as photographic proofs, "prove" = "test" So the exceptions to a rule test the rule, and help show its purposes and limits. Far more sensible, in my view.

Another using "proof" is the now common phrase "the proof is in the pudding" which makes no sense at all. This is a shorthand or corruption of "The proof of the pudding is in the eating" meaning that the only way to test the result is to try eating it, or m ore generally that it is only by trying to use something that one can be sure of its quality. Here again, "Prove" = "test".

There are a number of similar idioms and common phrases whose origins and original meaning are now obscure. Perhaps people would be interested in a separate thread about them?

-Don L.

i am reminded about a story in my 3rd grade class. i was writing a story about a tv series my teacher would not let us go until all the grammer and spelling mistakes were corrected, but although i reread it a dozen times i never saw the glaring mistake that i kept making. In my mind i had written the right word,but it was only after i had to finally ask what mistake that i had made that the teacher pointed it right out to me. My story was about a tv series called SKY KING and i had kept writing SHY KING and i never saw it as being spelled wrong even though i looked at it a dozen times and i changed almost a dozen words, but i always missed that one even though it was obvious to everyone else that read it. So proofreading is not always an exact art as some words you have blinders on because you think you have written the right word and it was not. Another instance is a word that i had learned somewhere to mean this one thing and it was not that defination so whenever it was used i would always get negative comments about it, but in my mind it was the right way to use that word. Thank you
Jim

I loved that show!

That would certainly be an interesting thread, especially if it incorporated idioms from a variety of cultures and countries.

I know that this can be an issue for some, but I think we should consider the effort of the writer, a minor flaw in the story should not become an issue, I feel we should address the totality of the writings, I think the writers due an excellent job and please keep doing it because I do not have the courage to do it, thanks. Turk.

Thanks Turk,

I often find myself noticing a small error in a story, and it distracts me. Then I have to remind myself of the effort the author has put in and of my own frailty in writing, and this helps me adopt a less critical attitude to the piece.

Me too. But reading the challenge entries gives me also an impression what a great job the validators are doing. As often in life the amount of work becomes only visible if it's not done.

I find I really have to endorse this comment. I seem to be hearing this misquotation increasingly often these days. It makes no sense whatsoever.
Perhaps we should instigate a pressure group for restoring the original?

Thank you, Mati!

I always ignore errors as I know how easy it is to bump the wrong key when typing or how the spell checker misses some errors. I agree that it is the totality of the work which should be judged and individual errors should be ignored. Some of course, as it has been pointed out, can be hilarious. For me a humorous error is what it is and shouldn't in any way detract from an otherwise well written story. Sometimes, a funny error can even add to the story!