What the heck is the past tense of spec?
Believe it or not, this comes up all the time, and after all these years I have yet to decide what’s right.
For example, I e-mailed a print rep earlier today to ask, “Would the 60# Natural Smooth paper be cheaper than the one I had speced?”
Should it be specked? speced? specced? spec’d? or something else?
And no, no one would say “the one I specified.”
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Posted: September 8th, 2008 under editing.
Comments: 1
Comments
Comment from peacay
Time: September 24, 2008, 8:09 am
The one you chose to use is the only one not mentioned at dic com (spec). So double your ‘c’.
I’m amazed it’s got an entry. I always assumed it meant specification(s), although that’s usually the plural form (specs) isn’t it?
I had been going to write about my lawn and you kids and the bastardisation of the English Language by l33tspeak in devilEmails but dic has now thrown me off my intended tirade.
*shakes fist at dictionary*
“Damn you!”
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