Earlier this week, in a quiet room, speaking steadily, I said to my computer that it's important for single men not to try to meet women in "artificial ways — such as approaching them with bon mots in bars, health clubs or trains."
This is a passage from a column I wrote in 1984, before Tribune stories were archived as text. I wanted to determine how well my review copy of Dragon Dictate software could help me translate a smudgy old photocopy to a crisp digital file.
But when I said "bon mots" (pronounced bone mohze, a French term for witticisms or clever remarks that's appeared 277 times in the Tribune in the last 29 years), the program heard "bold moles."
Not to pick on Dragon. Also failing the bon mot challenge were my phone ("ball malls"), the built-in dictation program on my desktop ("bowl moles") and Google's voice search ("bold Moes").
This Eric Zorn article about using Dragon, with all it's mistakes, was hilarious. My iPhone also makes me write some ridiculous things. Too bad they don't have brains. I think you won't be able to link to this tribune article , but just in case.
I could see that article with no problem. Go figure.
I'm with a lot of the commentators that it's an unfair test to use bon mots since it's another language. I recall I used to have to type up my boss's handwritten notes sometimes. Since I often knew nothing about the subject, although her handwriting wasn't bad, I'd make some amusing mistakes; to be fair, I'd often flag up a word if I was unsure of it.
Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
I think you won't be able to link to this tribune article , but just in case.
