It was with much amusement that I looked at the AI-generated script of a Youtubed genealogy lecture. I momentarily lost the thread when the words paupers' graves were translated as "porpoise graves".
But it neatly sums up the situation that a genealogist can find themselves in on occasion - a slightly off-kilter view of reality. Long before Artificial Intelligence solidified its presence, there have been many times when a chuckle was appropriate at the irony in research.
A distant family relative named Coral may have been amused when she married a man with the surname of Kay.
Coral's mother was also the subject of a genealogical quirk. She was born prior to the marriage of her parents and formally adopted by them afterwards. As a consequence, her birth certificate is not able to be purchased, even though her birthdate and other details are fully available in services such as Find My Past.
Coincidental connections in the English language are sometimes made without effort, but puns can be even more humourous. The following headline is a favourite, even though the story is unfortunate for the protagonists.
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| WIFE'S YANK KNOCKED THE "G" OUT OF GLOVER (1943, September 5). Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), p. 14. Retrieved from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203756892 |

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