More Frequently Confused and Misunderstood Words
Let’s look at some words that are frequently misused and misunderstood. The problem with the completely wrong word is becoming more and more rampant, and we really need to address it.
Founder as a verb means “to sink, to fail completely, or to cave in.” Flounder as a verb means “to flop about clumsily, to proceed with confusion.” I remember the difference by reminding myself that flounder, as a noun, is a fish, and a fish out of water flops about; founder, as a noun, is a person who begins something, and if he’s not careful, he can sink it. So if you have a ship sinking, it’s foundering; a kid who’s just learning to swim is floundering (as long as he’s not actually drowning). The crippled rowboat floundered toward the shore; we thought it would reach land, but it struck the outlying reef and foundered.
Career as a verb means “to move at full speed.” Careen as a verb has two meanings, “to tilt a ship on its side for cleaning and repair”; or “to move unsteadily, to lurch or sway while in motion.” Usually, they scrape off the barnacles when a ship is careened. And that’s how I remember the difference. If a car is careening down the street, it’s driving erratically, with a lurching motion—it might even bonk into a few things and scrape its sides. If that car is careering down the street, however, it’s speeding recklessly; it won’t, however, be bumping into things. The police cars careered down the street, trying to head off the drunken motorcyclist. The drunken man careened through the restaurant, bumping into waiters and tripping over patrons who were watching in horrified disbelief.
To wreak is to cause to happen, to give expression to. To reek is to smell abominable. I can wreak my wrath upon you, or wreak havoc upon your project. But my garbage can will reek if I don’t empty it. If you don’t take out that reeking garbage immediately, I will wreak havoc on your live life by refusing you access to the car.