Word 2007: Checking For Proofing Errors In Blank Documents?

[spiritualfields]

With a blank document (the default Document1) open, and no other documents
open, an icon appears after a few minutes in the status bar. The icon is of
an open book with a pencil flipping through the pages. The screentip
associated with the icon states that Word is checking for proofing errors.
How do I get it to stop this, and why is it doing it in the first place, and
for so long, since the open document is blank. It's been nearly fifteen
minutes now, and this icon is still in the status bar, with the pencil
flipping through the pages.

 

[spiritualfields]

With a blank document (the default Document1) open, and no other documents
open, an icon appears after a few minutes in the status bar. The icon is of
an open book with a pencil flipping through the pages. The screentip
associated with the icon states that Word is checking for proofing errors.
How do I get it to stop this, and why is it doing it in the first place, and
for so long, since the open document is blank. It's been nearly fifteen
minutes now, and this icon is still in the status bar, with the pencil
flipping through the pages.

I figured out how to get rid of the icon in the status bar, but I'm
wondering if that alone actually stops the program from trying to check the
blank document for errors. When I right-click the the status bar to show the
Customize Status Bar window, the Spelling & Grammar Check is unchecked, but
its status is still indicated as Checking.