TechWhirl (TECHWR-L) is a resource for technical writing and technical communications professionals of all experience levels and in all industries to share their experiences and acquire information.
For two decades, technical communicators have turned to TechWhirl to ask and answer questions about the always-changing world of technical communications, such as tools, skills, career paths, methodologies, and emerging industries. The TechWhirl Archives and magazine, created for, by and about technical writers, offer a wealth of knowledge to everyone with an interest in any aspect of technical communications.
Inquiring minds don't have to wonder. It's actually pretty easy to find
what i***ly, r**f*k, and *asm mean (nothing, nothing, and nothing
respectively) with certain word processors. In Word for Windows, for
example, do this:
1. Select as;dfljas;dlfj or other nonsense text (anything to make the
spell checker stop) and choose Spelling from the Tools menu.
2. In the Change To box, type cr???y or other word with the ? or *
wildcards.
3. Click the Suggest button. The spell checker shows the words that fit
the pattern.
This is obviously great for crossword puzzles (though purists would go
apoplectic) or finding fodder for spelling disputes on TECHWR-L: *eable
yields bridgeable, cacheable, changeable, dateable, shareable, et al.,
and sh?? gives at least a dozen possibilities. Maybe those people don't
really mean to cuss after all.
