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Title: 20 More Word Usage Mistakes Even Smart People Make
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URL Source: http://mentalfloss.com/article/8562 ... istakes-even-smart-people-make
Published: Sep 7, 2016
Author: Rebecca O'Connell
Post Date: 2016-09-07 09:20:51 by Ada
Keywords: None
Views: 162
Comments: 4
We’ve covered 20 pitfalls of English before, but there are plenty more to look out for. Here are another 20 word usage mistakes that can trip you up. 1. INSURE/ENSURE These words are easy to confuse not only because they sound alike, but because they both have to do with guarantees. To ensure is to make sure something does or doesn’t happen. To insure is to use a more specific type of guarantee: an insurance policy. 2. DISPERSE/DISBURSE Disperse is more common and has a wider range of meaning than disburse. To disperse is to scatter, separate, or sprinkle around. To disburse is only to give out money. 3. FLAK/FLACK Not many words in English end with ak, but flak does because it’s a shortening of a German word: fliegerabwehrkanone (anti-aircraft gun). Flak is artillery fire, and by metaphorical extension, criticism. The less common flack is for a publicist or someone who tries to drum up attention for a person or product. 4. ALL RIGHT/ALRIGHT Though alright spelled as one word is beginning to be accepted by a few style guides, it is still considered an error by most. Write it as two words. 5. BATED/BAITED The bated in the expression bated breath is related to abated. The breath is reduced, or almost held, in anticipation. It is not baited like a fish hook. 6. ACCEPT/EXCEPT These words have similar pronunciations, but very different meanings. To accept is to receive and to except is to exclude. A good way to remember the difference is that to accept something is to acquire it and to except is to cross it out with a big X. 7. ILLUSION/ALLUSION Illusion is the more common word and usually the one you want. An illusion is a false impression, something that seems real, but isn’t. Allusion is mostly used in literary contexts. It is a hint at something else, or a pointer to other work, such as a character name that refers back to a Shakespeare play. 8. FLOUNDER/FOUNDER To flounder is to flop around clumsily, like a fish on land. It can be used metaphorically for inconsistent or unproductive behavior. That’s why it’s easy to confuse with founder, which means to sink or fail. If a business is floundering, there’s still a chance to turn things around, but if it’s foundering, it’s best to cut your losses. 9. HEAR, HEAR/HERE, HERE When you want to give enthusiastic approval, the correct expression is “Hear, hear!” It came from the sense of hear him out! or hear this! and not from a sense having to do with here, the present location. Here, here! is an answer to “Where should I put this cupcake?” 10. TORTUROUS/TORTUOUS A tortuous route might also be torturous, but the words have different meanings. Something that is torturous causes torture, while something that is tortuous is merely full of twists and turns. If a route is so tortuous that is it gives you hours of carsickness, then, yes, it is also torturous. 11. HEARTY/HARDY Hearty is for things that are warm and nourishing, like a robust welcome or an abundant feast. They have heart. Hardy is for things that are tough and durable, that can stand up to the elements and survive. They are hard. 12. DEEP-SEATED/DEEP-SEEDED Whether you're talking about fears, habits, or emotions, the correct term is deep-seated. Talk of depth and rootedness brings the idea of planting to mind, but seeds don’t enter into this expression. 13. COMPLIMENT/COMPLEMENT A compliment is a kind or flattering comment. Complement means to go together well. Your shoes may complement your dress, but if I remark on how sharp you look I am giving you a compliment. 14. HOARD/HORDE To hoard is to collect and keep things in a secure or hidden place, and hoard itself keeps its stash of vowels all tucked away inside the word. A horde is a big crowd. Its vowels are scattered over the word, like a horde of tourists on a sidewalk. 15. LOATHE/LOATH Loathe is a verb meaning to hate. It is a more severe sentiment than loath, which means reluctant. Loath will always be followed by to, as in “I am loath to make small talk with people I loathe.” 16. PERPETRATE/PERPETUATE They only differ by one letter, but perpetuate gets a whole extra syllable. That works well, because perpetuate means to keep something going (to make it perpetual) while perpetrate is to commit a single act, usually a crime. 17. PORE OVER/POUR OVER When you study a document carefully, you pore over it (almost as if you are inspecting its tiny pores). If you were to pour something over it, like juice or coffee, that would make it much harder to read. 18. CONSCIENCE/CONSCIOUS Conscience is a noun, and conscious is an adjective. A conscience can be cleared, or keep you awake at night, or tell you what decision to make. Conscious is a description of a state. If you’re conscious you're awake and aware. 19. WHO’S/WHOSE If you can substitute in “who is” or “who has,” then the one you want is who’s, otherwise it’s whose. 20. AMUSED/BEMUSED It’s better to be amused than bemused. Amused means entertained, while bemused means puzzled or confused. It’s the difference between a smile and a head scratch.
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#1. To: Ada (#0)
And who gives a rats ass???
I druther be grammatically correct than politically correct.
Very few, but all should. Most rightists take a "whatever I do is fine just like I do it" stance, making the truth mvt often look rather goofy. Gliberals know the value of writing and publishing with finesse and that's one of the main ways they keep winning. Ha, pore over/pour over -- one of my favorites. Others = innoculate, Thimerosol, "anti-simetic", Judiasm. The icing on the case is that wikid's article on Thimerosal is titled Thiomersal and it mostly spells it that way -- 2nd or 3rd very sloppy wikid article I've read since last night. One of my pet peeves is that very VERY few people ever pronounce "Social Security" properly, most often saying "soso" or "sosul" security, subconsciously revealing that they live in puerile relation to it. _____________________________________________________________ USA! USA! USA! Bringing you democracy, or else! there were strains of VD that were incurable, and they were first found in the Philippines and then transmitted to the Korean working girls via US military. The 'incurables' we were told were first taken back to a military hospital in the Philippines to quietly die. – 4um
Corporal Vs Corporeal. Corporeal punishment means striking the body. Corporal punishment would be Private Sanders being struck by Corporal Johnson.
The Truth of 911 Shall Set You Free From The Lie
#2. To: Darkwing, neoconsnailed (#1)
And who gives a rats ass???
#3. To: Darkwing, All (#1)
#4. To: Ada (#0)
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