When you get a text from your father telling you that he is “eating your mother for dinner,” you can probably assume that autocorrect has been up to its usual tricks and your dad is taking your mother for dinner. Or your dad might actually be a cannibal.

Autocorrect is the very bane of our existences. It can change your mom’s text of “Have fun” to “Have funeral.” It can correct “dear” to “dead,” very much changing the meaning of a text. You could be trying to tell someone that your grandma is in the garage but autocorrect may change it to “grandma is in the grave.” That’s kind of a problem.

Autocorrect can inconveniently turn a completely normal conversation into the most awkward experience of your life. Take, for example, the following instance on a hard day:

Guy friend: “Have a better day! You’re amazing!”

What girl meant to type: “Thanks for being here for me! You’re the best.”

What girl actually typed: “Thanks for being hete for me! You’re the best.”

What autocorrect felt the need for girl to say: “Thanks for being heterosexual for me! You’re the best.”

The awkwardness becomes tangible.

If you make the same spelling mistake consistently, autocorrect might decide that the wrong way to spell it is the right way to spell it. Suddenly, instead of autocorrect changing “jut” to “just,” it will change “just” to “jut.”

While it makes life harder (and ruins relationships), autocorrect can also be used for entertainingly devious purposes. Steal your mom’s phone and create an autocorrect shortcut to replace “get” with the entire Gettysburg Address – next time your mom asks you to get something from the store, she’ll end up telling you about the Civil War. Borrow your grammar-freak sister’s phone and create shortcuts to change “there” to “their” and “you’re” to “your.” Don’t let the cruel ploys of autocorrect keep you from having a bit of fun.