Surprising Spelling Tip of the Week
Interesting word, “minuscule.” Means “tee-ninesy, itty-bitty, microscopically small, insignificant.” And it’s spelled funny. You’d think it was supposed to be spelled “miniscule” with the “mini-” like the one in “miniature” or “Mini-Me.” But it isn’t! It’s spelled “minuscule” with a “minus” as in “less than.” Who knew? A coworker called me on this one, and […]
A Dilettante Has Nothing to Do With Pickles!
Well, nothing, that is, unless your “dilettante” is a pickle-lover. “Dillettante.” A common misspelling, this, and sometimes humourous. But for those who have the affliction of needing to be right, there are certain words in the language that give us nightmares. “Chaffeur” …”amateur” … “connoisseur.” But the Big Kahuna of them all is “dilettante.” Everyone knows […]
Chile Is Neither Chili nor Chilly, and It Has Nothing to Do With Peppers
Ah, the confusion of reading “We ate some chile last night.” What, you like mud pies? Chile, pronounced /chee-LAY/ by those who know, is a subtropical country in South America. Interestingly enough, it’s long and skinny, having the rough outline of a nice serrano pepper. Chili, pronounced /CHI-lee/, is either a hot pepper, such as […]
Don’t Snigger at Me, You Oaf!
Once again, a controversy over spellings darkens the skies. Is it “snicker” or “snigger”? Let the Grammar Guru help, won’t you? Snicker means “to utter a half-stifled, possibly snide, laugh.” Snigger means “a disrespectful laugh, usually partly-stifled.” In essence, they are synonyms, although snigger carries more negative connotations of disrespect or furtiveness, usually giving the […]
Serial Killers Don’t Murder Cereals
A cereal killer would be someone who takes the life out of your bowl of porridge. A serial killer, on the other hand, is someone who makes a habit of taking the lives of others according to a pattern. Cereal, you see, is a noun meaning a type of grain product. In Europe, it can […]
When You Need Advice, Ask Someone to Advise You!
The Grammar Guru has been asked to explain the difference between advise and advice, two frequently misused words that should be easy to tell apart. Advise is a verb, meaning “to tell someone what they ought to do.” It is pronounced /ad-VIZE/. Someone advised him not to invest in widgets. Advice is a noun, meaning […]
O Tempora! O Mores!
This post was sparked by a comment that I made on another blogger’s post (her name is Homegirl), in which I mistakenly assumed that she had misquoted the old saying “the pot calling the kettle black.” I was wrong. She had intentionally changed it, for reasons that I understand and respect. But this tendency in […]