The Compleat Al

[TMBJon]

I am proud to say I own this VHS tape. I got it in 1997 or so. I remember when it came in the mail. I don't remember where I got it from but it was like 20 bucks or so.

[Yankovic-Gretzky]

I own it on VHS.

[algonacchick]

Ah, well, that's good. I did answer your question about the word compleat after editing. I hope that helps.

[Grom]

Wow, I always thought it was a reference to "Eat It"...that makes much more sense, Patti.

[weird_el]

The first place I believe this "Compleat" spelling was used was a 17th Century book on fishing called The Compleat Angler.

I'm sure Al's title was based on The Compleat Beatles and the Beatles chose the "compleat" spelling because of the way they spelled their name (also involving wordplay -- as opposed to beetles)

[Well, Well, Well]

I never even noticed the title of this thread was 'The Compleat Al.' I always just assumed it was complete.

[CatraDhtem]

I think El has the right idea about the uncommon spelling being done in the original film just to emulate the misspelling of the Beatles' own name, which would then make Al's use of the word just a year later for his own quasi-documentary all the more comical since the use of the "ea" misspelling is so obviously a Beatles characteristic.

[algonacchick]

Nice to see El and Greg backing up what I said. That's also a good theory about why the Beatles chose the alternate spelling for complete, El. I'm married to a huge Beatles fan, and I believe we own a copy of The Compleat Beatles. It just seemed like a natural for Al to parody that title.

[Miss Janine]

When I first saw the title The Compleat Al, I figured it was a Beatles reference. But, now, wouldn't it be The Semi-Compleat Al?

[Dumb N00b]

I don't know about "Old English", which is a language which absolutely nobody can read without years of study (In other words, it's much closer to, say, Swedish than actual English), but I do know that it was spelled that way until the eighteenth century in both America and GB, and in fact longer in GB. The spelling "complete" may also have been used before this point, yes, but the whole point is that English spelling was not completely standardized until very recently, and "compleat" was more common.