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We’ve recently been working on a multi-language WordPress site that includes Nepali content. We noticed the site was trying to output a very odd translation for a particular word.
WordPress and multi-language plugin WPML conspired to use WordPress’ default list of supposedly ‘Cockney’ terms to replace the Nepali text.
Autocorrection
WordPress has a list of characters it ‘autocorrects’ when it outputs, mostly to do with angled quote marks and apostrophes. Alongside this, it tries to make sure that if used in certain words, the apostrophe is replaced correctly. In particular, it turns out, it has a list of what it calls ‘Cockney’ words to replace the apostrophe at the start of words, such as ’twere, ’cause and ’twill.
The wptexturize() function
We’re using the term Cockney here because WordPress’s documentation uses the variable $wp_cockneyreplace in the context of the wptexturize() function. However, it’s not really a Cockney thing, rather a method of replacing incorrect typography on archaic contractions such as ‘tain’t, ‘twas, and ‘bout.
But we did think it was quite interesting!
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