Who’s vs. Whose
There’s a battle going on in the world of words, and heaven only knows who’s going to win! Everywhere I go, I see “who’s” being used as a possessive — I don’t know why; it’s just plain silly. Actually, I have a pretty good guess about why it’s happening. People don’t understand apostrophes. I’ve talked […]
Overdo and Overdue are not interchangeable.
This error is a simple mix-up due to sloppy pronunciation. Overdo (which should be pronounced /oh vuhr doo/) means to attempt too much or to go too far. Examples: Don’t overdo the pepper in that soup, or it will be inedible. Myra wanted to work outside on this hot day, so we told her to […]
The Core of the Corps Is Loyalty
But if you use the wrong form of the word pronounced /kohr/, you will have little loyalty from your editors or your employers. Core means the middle, the base, the main parts. An apple core, core curriculum, core values … all basics. Corps means a body of people acting as a single group. The Marine […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
It’s Just a Phase; Don’t Let It Faze You …
and don’t give me any flak … I’m just a flack for good grammar and usage. These two pairs of words are consistently misused, so I want to set the record straight once and for all. Phase is a noun indicating a passing behavioural pattern or a certain stage of development. (Example: Most children go […]
Assure, Ensure, or Insure … When to Use Which
These three words cause a lot of confusion. There are some simple ways to remember which one should be used in what circumstance. I referred to the ultimate English reference tool, Fowler’s Modern English Usage, to ensure that I gave you the most accurate information on this sticky little problem. Assure is a verb meaning […]
Unh, Thag Use Big Word…
and nine-tenths of the population probably has no clue what Thag meant. I have come across the word solipsism or one of its variants three times in one day. That’s not exactly a common word among the general population, yet the first two times I met it, I nodded politely and read on. The third […]
Do Not Exacerbate My Exasperation
Two frequently misused words which can make you sound very foolish when you mix them up, or quite brilliant if you get them right, are exasperate and exacerbate. The problem is really quite simple, as the words have nothing at all in common except the prefix “ex-.” Exasperate (/eks ASS purr ate/) means to make […]