The Press: Hemloc Canceled

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For five years readers of the Chicago Tribune have puzzled their way through such simplified spellings as "agast," "crum," "fantom,' "jaz," "lether," "staf," and 74 other phonetic short cuts. One day last week Tribune readers were agreeably surprised by a lead editorial headed: LACKY, PASS THE HEMLOC.

In an editorial masterpiece, which used 35 of the 80 words on the simplified spelling list, the Tribune explained: "Now it's all over. We're saying good-by to simplified spelling. We hope that no hassocs will be shied in our direction as we make our way down the aile to the mourners' bench. . . ."

Two editions later the Tribune changed its mind, eliminated from its editorial the promise to junk simplified spelling, altered its headline to read:

NOT YET THE HEMLOC.

"We have stood for a good deal of lether lunged laughter in our bailiwic," stoutly concluded the edited editorial, "but we've got an intern in the house and we can take it."