B737 FLT CREW CLEARED DIRECT 'TPH' INSERTS 'TNP' IN FMC CAUSING TRACK DEV.

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JUST A PLAIN TYPO (OR IS IT PLANE TYPO). ON CHK-IN WITH ZLC FROM ZDV WE WERE GIVEN A MODIFIED RTE CLRNC. SLC: 'FOR MIL AIRSPACE; CLRED DIRECT TONOPAH; THAT'S TANGO PAPA HOTEL.' PNF: 'ROGER; CLRED DIRECT TONAPAH; TANGO PAPA HOTEL.' THE FO TYPED TNP INTO THE DIR BOXES AND ASKED ME TO CONFIRM. I LOOKED TO THE BOX; BUT MORE TO THE MAP AS THE TURN WAS SLIGHTLY L. I DID NOT FULLY DIGEST THAT TNP WAS IN THE PAGE OR IF I DID T-N-P KINDA SAID 'TONAPAH' TO MY COCOA PUFF SIZE BRAIN STEM. EITHER WAY IT IS CLR THAT PARTS OF THE BRAIN ABOVE THE STEM HAD NOT RECEIVED ADEQUATE NEURO-STIMULATION; 'CAUSE I FLAT MISSED WHAT HAPPENED. SLC WAS SHARP AND MUST SEE THIS OFTEN AS WHEN THEY SAW THE L TURN; THEY WERE ON US LIKE THEY HAD PLACED A BET ON OUR TYPING TNP VERSUS TPH. WE FIXED ISSUE AND ASKED IF ANY SEPARATION LOSS HAD OCCURRED AS WE SAW NO TCAS TFC IN OUR AREA. SLC SAID; 'NO; WE WERE WATCHING AND GOT IT FIXED WITH PLENTY OF TIME.' KIDDING ASIDE; THIS WAS A BAD EXAMPLE OF 'PLT MONITORING' AND A GOOD EXAMPLE OF 'PNF.' I HAVE RELEARNED THAT I MUST VIEW AND MENTALLY DEMAND MORE THAN A BRAIN STEM RESPONSE FROM MYSELF. ON THE DISTR'S SIDE; WE WERE DISCUSSING THE FUTURE OR LACK OF IT FOR THIS AIRLINE AND MY FO IS LIKELY TO BE FURLOUGHED. THE DISCUSSION ITSELF WAS NECESSARY IN MY ROLE AS CAPT; BUT DEEP DISCUSSION; EVEN IN EASY CRUISE MAKES IT EVEN EASIER TO MISS MISTAKES LIKE THIS. LESSONS LEARNED WERE LEARNED WELL! RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED; CAPT BRAIN-STEM.