The next time your kid messes up on a spelling test, write back to the teacher requesting a higher grade and chalking up the mistakes to "human error."   Scotsman.com reports Rev. Ewan Aitken, executive member for education at City of Edinburgh Council, used this trick to explain errors contained in an invitation to a Christmas tree lighting.

Parts of the invitation read, "I write to invite you to the forth annual Restalrig Community Christmas Tree Lighting event" and "Some suitable singing and a short blessing of the tree and then refreshments will be served curtesy of the playgroup in Craigentinny Community Centre."

Rev. Aitken is charged with the responsibility of improving standards of reading and writing among pupils in Edinburgh.   He reacted to his gaffe by saying, "Here is hard evidence that I am a human being like everyone else.   I apologise if this shows me in a bad light.   What is really important is that we are having a really big event in Restalrig, not whether I can spell or not.   At least I am trying to improve other people's spelling, even if mine is not getting any better."

I don't think we should be too hard on Rev. Aitken or the person to whom he dictated the message.   Even the best of us makes spelling errors.   We all get mental hickups now and again.   But I do think they ought to familiarize themselves with one particular word: S-P-E-L-L-C-H-E-C-K!   While that wouldn't have caught "forth," it would have at least found "curtesy."