Vindication! I look at "ie" and "ei" spellings the same way because of my extensive study of the German language. I was first called on my misspelling of "wierd" in fifth grade and I have never gotten any better at it. The spellchecker berates me every time. But like you, my built-in spellchecker insists that "weird" should be spelled "wierd". It makes no sense to me either (pronounced "eye-tair").

I suspect a French influence.

Wimmern, das ist sonderbar. Möglicherweise müssen Sie mehr Bier trinken.

Mit Bier is mehr immer wünderschön. Und das brauche ich gern...

Sehr gut. Obgleich ich nicht Ihre Politik mag, es ist nett, Sie zu sehen, gutes Bier und deutsche Kultur zu genießen.

Möglicherweise zukünftig gewinnen Sie Ihre politischen Richtungen wieder. ;)

Solange man nüchtern ist,
gefällt das Schlechte.
Wie man getrunken hat,
weiss man das Rechte.

Jeder hört die Musik anders - aber der gemeinsame Tanz ist wunderbar.

Zum Wohl!

Re #1: Enlightening perspective, indeed.

Re #2: Eh, the occasional misspelling is allowed now and then. No big deal - unless, that is, when in the presence of Marty "Yasser" Newton.

I took a few years of German, too. And the correct spelling of "weird" has been one of my most difficult challenges. What finally sticks is this little phrase: "We are weird," which I use to remind myself that "weird" begins with "we."

To paraphrase Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and we are weird."

I before E except after C,
or when sounded like A,
as in neighbor and weigh.

Exceptions:
"Neither foreigner seized either weird height."

English. What could be simpler?