The rite write

Exploring some words and expressions that do not look right.

THE title looks funny – funny not meaning “funny ha-ha” or “causing laughter or amusement”, but meaning “strange, peculiar”. The first word, the, is an indefinite article, and there is no quarrel about that. The second and the third words purport to be adjective and noun. However, the second word, rite, is phonetically right as an adjective but it is grammatically wrong for the right word, right. The third word, write, being a verb, is grammatically wrong. It could be the noun rite, which fits into the phrase – but it is not the intended word. It could be the noun form of write, viz. writ, which does fit in – but, again, this is not the intended word. How about alternative titles like the right to rites, the right of wrights, a playwright writes on rites, etc.?