Spell This One Right …
a quick note about a frequently misspelled word. Lightning is the bolt from the sky that can electrify your evening. Lightening is what someone does to the load you carry by taking some of it off your hands. Lightening is also what happens to the sky when the sun comes up, or to your hair […]
You Can Have Your Dessert in a Desert
Don’t mix the spelling of these two. It might leave a bad taste in your mouth — or your reader’s. Dessert is the noun we all know and love as the final course of a meal. Sweets to wrap up a culinary experience, or to make a bad day better. It always has two S’s […]
I Can’t Accept Your Exception to the Rule
Like the words affect and effect, accept and except are often confused. Misusing them, however, is an egregious error that can give a very bad impression of your communication skills. Accept is a verb that means “to take something that is offered.” You can accept the terms of a contract, accept a marriage proposal, accept […]
E or I for That Kind Remark?
When someone says something nice about you, is it a compliment or a complement? These two words are pronounced so similarly that they are frequently misused. Let’s set the record straight. A compliment is a kind remark about someone. Mike’s comments on Sally’s work were the nicest compliment she has ever received from him. A […]
Who Died in That Kilt?
I have recently seen the proliferation of a really egregious error caused by a homophone in a common idiom. The idiom in question is “dyed-in-the-wool,” which is never spelled “died-in-the-wool” unless someone has actually passed away while encased in sheeps’ fur. In medieval England, you could dye unspun wool before making it into threads, or […]
Get Your Hands off My Tutu!
Apparently there is some confusion about which form of the word pronounced /tu/ to use in a given situation. To is a preposition meaning “toward” or “directed at.” As in: I went to the store. Give the book to John. Too is an adverb meaning “excessive” or “also.” As in: That pepper was too hot […]
Be Discreet! or Discrete? Which Is It?
These two words are very frequently confused. I suppose that it’s due to the fact that their pronunciation is the same and that only two letters change position in the spelling. Discreet is an adjective meaning “unobtrusive” or “in a confidential manner.” Example: Please be discreet when you tell everyone about the surprise party — […]
25 Easy Steps to Gooder Grammar
This came in my e-mail, but it was so wonderful I have to share it. It’s not often that you get a forwarded e-mail that is both amusing and educational. Don’t abbrev. Check to see if you any words out. Be carefully to use adjectives and adverbs correct. About sentence fragments. When dangling, don’t use […]
Sheer and Shear May Confuse You!
A simple tip today: don’t get these two homophones confused. Sheer is an adjective used to describe something that is nearly transparent (like sheer stockings) or that is smooth (like a sheer cliff). It is rarely used as a verb meaning “to move abruptly in a different direction,” as in The plane sheered away from […]
If You Meet a Murderer, Will You Mete Out Justice?
Watch these tricky little sound-alikes, because misusing them can really make you look bad. Both are verbs (well, most commonly used as verbs). Meet means to come face to face with, to come together with. (Example: We will meet in the conference room.) Mete means to dispense or hand out. (Example: The food pantry will […]