It has been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. That’s because the pen writes words that convey thoughts and meaning. Words have power to build up and to tear down—and to send language lovers like me into fits of laughter (or anger).
That’s why it helps to know which word to use for the context. Today’s Which Word Wednesday duel is between because and since, which most of us use interchangeably. The assumption weakens our message, however, Continue Reading…
The worst part about my interest in language is that I know just enough to make myself crazy when I talk. I know what I want to say, but I need to choose between two words that confuse me, and then I get stuck in the recesses of my brain, trying to remember which word is correct. It’s linguistic torture.
One of those mean word duos is bad / badly. For example, if I am experiencing regret, do I feel bad about it or do I feel badly about it? I can get myself all turned about inside on that one. Perhaps today’s Which Word Wednesday will help. Let’s look first to the New Oxford American Dictionary:
bad :: adjective
of poor quality; inferior or defective; not such as to be hoped for or desired; unpleasant or unwelcome; regretful, guilty, or ashamed about something
badly :: adverb
in an unsatisfactory, inadequate, or unsuccessful way; to a great or serious degree; severely
We have one adjective (modifying nouns) and one adverb (modifying verbs)—so these words are not interchangeable. Context is key. To use the correct word, you have to know what you are modifying. Not always so easy, especially when the words are gushing out and you have like five seconds to choose.
“The reason it’s easy to be confused is that ‘feel’ can be a linking verb or an action verb. Action verbs are easy to understand. They describe actions. If I reach out and touch your cashmere sweater to see how soft it is, I’ve taken an action. I am feeling your sweater.
“Linking verbs are more subtle. They describe emotions or states of being. If I am regretful about something and I want to describe my feelings, I’m describing my state of mind, not an action.”
This is why we get confused, but we also need help to not be confused. Grammar Girl gives this tip:
“Can you replace ‘feel’ with ‘am’? If so, choose the adjective and write ‘I feel bad.’”
And I add this memory hook to the mix:
If your hand is numb, you can’t feel what you are touching, so you feel badly.
If your heart is sad, you feel the weight of emotion, so you feel bad.
What’s my WWW verdict? Numb hands make for a heavy heart.
What’s your verdict? Do you stumble over bad and badly? Do you have a tip for keeping them straight? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
Summer is almost here! And you know what that means: ice cream, frozen yogurt, frozen custard, that oh-so-mysterious soft serve stuff, gelato, sorbet, Italian ice, sherbet. The treats are plentiful, which is one of the best parts of summer.
But that last item on the list is a tricky fellow; some call it sherbet (one r), others call it sherbert (two rs). hmm. Is this a ta-may-to/to-ma-to thing? Is it a misspelling? Is it the same frozen treat with two names? Continue Reading…
Yes, caution. Construction has the ability to see.
The trio for this week’s Which Word Wednesday is something I’ve seen a few times recently, although I’ve failed to keep track of the examples. And examples make this so much more interesting! Oh well—onward. It’s another round of homophones with cite, site, and sight. Let’s look Continue Reading…
Word glitches happen. Given the right set of circumstances, anyone can insert the wrong word for the context.
That’s what happened at Christ and Pop Culture for an article title that needed either complement or compliment. The one with I was chosen and posted for the world to see—and that wasn’t correct. eek! The author alerted the editing team of the error so a quick edit could be made and cheers were heard around the world. (Proper language is so popular!)
The incident inspired today’s Which Word Wednesday. Let’s look at the definitions Continue Reading…
My work as a writer and editor means that I regularly interact with talented graphic designers. It’s so nice to be able to phone-a-designer-friend for advice on important matters, such as which font to use and which fonts play nice together. If it weren’t for my designer friends, I wouldn’t know of the universal disdain for Comic Sans. It would be a shame if I used that one erroneously.
How giddy I was to receive this book from my dearest designer friend: Just My Type: A Book about Fonts written by Simon Garfield. The history of printing and font design is fascinating! It also offered the definitions of font and typeface—a perfect offering for Which Word Wednesday.
I use these terms interchangeably, to which Garfield says, “There are worse sins.”1 Perhaps. But I want to know the proper use, even if I can’t teach my old brain new tricks. Here are the definitions from The Oxford American Dictionary:
font :: noun
a set of type of one particular face and size
typeface :: noun
a particular design of type
Garfield expounds:
“A font refers usually to the digital, computerized form of a particular typeface. Each typeface may have a family of several fonts (bold, italic, condensed, semibold italic, etc.), each weight and style on the page a little different.”1
Whew! Perhaps my misuse isn’t so egregious after all! Sounds like font refers to all the sizes (6 point, 12 point, etc.) and styles (bold, italic, underline, etc.) of a particular typeface (NewsGoth, Arial, Comic Sans, etc.). If I use font as the term to describe the entire family, I’m technically correct. But if I want to ask about which lettering to use, typeface is the word I need.
What’s my WWW verdict? On the graphic design scale for sinful behavior, using Comic Sans is way worse than using the terms font and typeface interchangeably.
What’s your verdict? Do you know your font from your typeface? Do you want to Ban Comic Sans? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
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Sources
1. Simon Garfield, Just My Type: A Book about Fonts (New York, NY: Gotham Books, 2012), 32.
Today’s Which Word Wednesday word quandary is an evenly matched duel brought to you by my Wednesday running buddy (and fellow editor), Becky. She has seen our contestants, moot and mute, get misused and confused a time or two. So let’s see how these two words can be kept in their respective corners, shall we? Let us commence with the definitions from The Oxford American Dictionary:
moot :: adjective
subject to debate, dispute, or uncertainty, and typically not admitting of a final decision; having no practical significance, typically because the subject is too uncertain to allow a decision
mute
:: adjective > refraining from speech or temporarily speechless
:: noun > a person without the power of speech
:: verb > deaden, muffle, or soften the sound of
We have two four-letter words, beginning with the letter M, and ending with a T sound. But these are superficial, surface likenesses. Peeling back the matching skin reveals very different words, indeed.
Mute is the versatile one—it can be useful as an adjective, noun, or verb. It is also the commonly known one—we know how to mute (verb) our music or remain mute (adjective) or recognize a person who is mute (noun).
Sidebar: Interestingly enough, the OAD tells us the noun-form of mute is no longer PC: “To describe a person without the power of speech as mute (especially as in deaf-mute) is today likely to cause offense and is often regarded as outdated. Nevertheless, there is no directly equivalent term for mute in general use, apart from speech-impaired. The term profoundly deaf may be used to imply that a person has not developed any spoken language skills.”
Moot, on the other hand, has just one use: explaining something that is not worth explaining. It is most often paired with point, as in moot point. The OAD is helpful once again, explaining that “the adjective (originally an attributive noun use: see moot court) dates from the mid 16th cent.; the current verb sense dates from the mid 17th cent.”
A memory hook is needed to curtail our misuse and confusion. How about this? Moot is used only to describe a discussion point. If you are referring to a person, an action, or speech, use mute. Points are moot. Everything else is mute. See the pictorial at right for additional help.
What’s my WWW verdict? Old words are dicey. Use with care.
What’s your verdict? Have you ever made a mute point? Did you know that it was not longer PC to describe a person as mute? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
OK, I’ll admit it—I’ve been avoiding this Which Word Wednesday match up. Affect vs. effect? It’s not that I don’t know how to use them, because I do. But it’s more of a gut feel rather than a mental assent to the rules. But someone on FB requested coverage, so here we go, first with the definitions from The Oxford American Dictionary:
affect
:: verb > have an effect on; make a difference to; touch the feelings of (someone); move emotionally
:: noun > Psychology: emotion or desire, esp. as influencing behavior or action
effect
:: noun > a change that is a result or consequence of an action or other cause; the state of being or becoming operative
:: verb [ with obj. ] > cause (something) to happen; bring about
Really? Both words are verbs and nouns? This is another case where the English language could have used a few more unique words instead of loading up words with multiple meanings.
Let’s separate the proverbial goats (nouns) from the sheep (verbs) using Dave Dowling’s entry in The Wrong Word Dictionary1:
The verb affect means to influence or change. The moon and sun can affect the ocean’s tides.
The verb effect means to bring about or accomplish. The new CEO effected a few minor changes to the company.
The noun effect means result. One effect of the drought was a skimpy corn crop.
Memory hook: If you affect something, you can have an effect on it.
Wow, that’s a lot to remember . . . so here’s the deal: Most of the time, you will use affect as a verb and effect as a noun. Use affect to describe action due to influence or change. Use effect to describe the end result of an action or change. See the aardvark for a pictorial.2
What’s my WWW verdict? Honestly, affect and effect have too many uses. When all else fails, remember the aardvark.
What’s your verdict? Do you get affect and effect mixed up? Do you have any memory hooks that help you? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
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Sources
1. Dave Dowling, The Wrong Word Dictionary (Oak Park, IL: Marion Street Press, 2005), 22.
2. Fogarty, Mignon. “Aardvark.” Cartoon. Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. New York: Henry Holt and, 2008. Print.
Not all homonyms are created equal. Sometimes one of them is more popular than the other, so we forget how to use the words properly. This week’s Which Word Wednesday considers the use of pore and pour. And I think pore’s homonym status causes pour to be used improperly, as my writer friend Queenie found in this example recently: The student poured over her books—as in, concentrated heavily on the content. But this is all wrong, according to the definitions in The Oxford American Dictionary:
pore :: noun
a minute opening in a surface, esp. the skin or integument of an organism, through which gases, liquids, or microscopic particles can pass
pore :: verb
be absorbed in the reading or study of
pour :: verb
flow rapidly in a steady stream
If a student concentrates heavily on her books, she pores over them. Pouring over them would mean she doused the pages with water, which would not be likely.
How does this confusion happen? The OAD explains:
People frequently confuse the verbs pore and pour. Pore is used with over or through and means “be absorbed in reading something” . . . while pour means ‘flow or cause to flow in a steady stream.’ . . . As pore is a much less common word, people often choose the more familiar pour, producing sentences such as she was pouring over books and studying till midnight. Although increasingly common, this use is incorrect in standard English.
What’s my WWW verdict? Watch out for those overshadowed homonyms. Use pore for openings and studying; pour for dousing.
What’s your verdict? Do you know the difference between pore (an opening) and pore (studying intently)? Have you poured over your books? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
Some dear friends of ours have twin girls. They look alike, for sure—they are twins, siblings—but because I know them well, I see the differences, however slight. I can tell them apart, and I know which name goes with which girl.
Words twins are the same. They look alike, with the same letters, the same sounds. But when you know them well enough, you can quickly tell the difference between them and use them properly. Today’s Which Word Wednesday twins are flounder and founder. Let’s start with definitions from The Oxford American Dictionary:
flounder :: verb
struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud
founder :: verb
(of a ship) fill with water and sink; (of a plan or undertaking) fail or break down, typically as a result of a particular problem or setback
As with human twins, it’s not a matter of merely seeing the differences—you need to associate the differences with the right twin to really know them. Dave Dowling explains it like this in The Wrong Word Dictionary:
“Flounder means to behave awkwardly or move in a clumsy way. Founder means to sink or collapse.”1
What memory hooks can we gain from this? People flounder (struggle, stagger), but ships and plans founder (collapse, sink). For example:
People often flounder (struggling) to know the differences between flounder and founder. I do hope my assistance is not foundering (failing)!
What’s my WWW verdict? If you can know one word in a twin set, you can know them both. I tell flounder from founder with this memory hook: People flounder, like a flounder out of water.
What’s your verdict? Does this twin set confuse you? Do you get flounder confused with founder? Do share in the comments.
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Check out previous Which Word Wednesday verdicts here.
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Sources
1. Dave Dowling, The Wrong Word Dictionary (Oak Park, IL: Marion Street Press, 2005).
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