Tuesday, December 31, 2013

whereabouts are/whereabouts is: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 31, 2013

whereabouts are/whereabouts is
Despite the deceptive S on the end of the word, “whereabouts” is normally singular, not plural. “The whereabouts of the stolen diamond is unknown.” Only if you were simultaneously referring to two or more persons having separate whereabouts would the word be plural, and you are quite unlikely to want to do so.

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Monday, December 30, 2013

strong suite/strong suit: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, December 30, 2013

strong suite/strong suit
“Strong suit” is an expression derived from card-playing, in which hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades are the suits. When you put your best foot forward you play your strong suit.

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Sunday, December 29, 2013

root/rout/route: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, December 29, 2013

root/rout/route
You can root for your team (cheer them on) and hope that they utterly smash their opponents (create a rout), then come back in triumph on Route 27 (a road).

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Saturday, December 28, 2013

tradegy/tragedy: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, December 28, 2013

tradegy/tragedy
Not only do people often misspell “tragedy” as “tradegy,” they mispronounce it that way too. Just remember that the adjective is “tragic” to recall that it’s the G that comes after the A. Also common is the misspelling “tradgedy.”

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Friday, December 27, 2013

old-timer’s disease/Alzheimer’s Disease: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, December 27, 2013

old-timer’s disease/Alzheimer’s Disease
I’ve always thought that “old-timer’s disease” was a clever if tasteless pun on “Alzheimer’s Disease,” but many people have assured me that this is a common and quite unintentional error.

Some medical authorities prefer the form “Alzheimer Disease,” though that is seldom used by nonprofessionals.

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

perse/per se: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, December 26, 2013

perse/per se 
This legal term meaning “in, of, or by itself” is a bit pretentious, but you gain little respect if you misspell per se as a single word. Worse is the mistaken “per say.”




















 
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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

aswell/as well: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, December 25, 2013

aswell/as well
No matter how you use it, the expression “as well” is always two words, despite the fact that many people seem to think it should be spelled “aswell.” Examples: “I don’t like plastic trees as well as real ones for Christmas.” “Now that we’ve opened our stockings, let’s open our other presents as well.”

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

brussel sprout/brussels sprout: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 24, 2013

brussel sprout/brussels sprout
These tiny cabbage-like vegetables are named after the Belgian city of Brussels, which has an S on the end. The correct spelling is “brussels sprout.”

Monday, December 23, 2013

athlete: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, December 23, 2013

athlete
Tired of people stereotyping you as a dummy just because you’re a jock? One way to impress them is to pronounce “athlete” properly, with just two syllables, as “ATH-leet” instead of using the common mispronunciation “ATH-uh-leet.”

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Saturday, December 21, 2013

butt naked/buck naked: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, December 21, 2013

butt naked/buck naked
The standard expression is “buck naked,” and the contemporary “butt naked” is an error that will get you laughed at in some circles. However, it might be just as well if the new form were to triumph. Originally a “buck” was a dandy, a pretentious, overdressed show-off of a man. Condescendingly applied in the US to Native Americans and black slaves, it quickly acquired negative connotations. To the historically aware speaker, “buck naked” conjures up stereotypical images of naked “savages” or—worse—slaves laboring naked on plantations. Consider using the alternative expression “stark naked.”

Friday, December 20, 2013

marital/martial: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, December 20, 2013

marital/martial
“Marital” refers to marriage, “martial” to war, whose ancient god was Mars. These two are often swapped, with comical results.


Thursday, December 19, 2013

respiratory: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, December 19, 2013

respiratory 
Even health professionals tend to mispronounce this word by smooshing the second and third syllables into one. This word has several possible pronunciations, but “resp-uh-tory” is not one of them. However you say it, try to at least hint at all five syllables.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

table: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, December 18, 2013

table
In the UK if you table an issue you place it on the table for discussion; but in the US the phrase means the opposite: you indefinitely postpone discussing the issue.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

whimp/wimp: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 17, 2013

whimp/wimp
The original and still by far the most common spelling of this common bit of slang meaning “weakling, coward” is “wimp.” If you use the much less common “whimp” instead, people may regard you as a little wimpy.

Monday, December 16, 2013

administer/minister: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, December 16, 2013

administer/minister 
You can minister to someone by administering first aid. Note how the “ad” in “administer” resembles “aid” in order to remember the correct form of the latter phrase. “Minister” as a verb always requires “to” following it.


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Sunday, December 15, 2013

advice/advise: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, December 15, 2013

advice/advise 
“Advice” is the noun, “advise” the verb. When a columnist advises people, she gives them advice.


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Saturday, December 14, 2013

skiddish/skittish: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, December 14, 2013

skiddish/skittish
If you nervously avoid something you are not “skiddish” about it; the word is “skittish.”

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Friday, December 13, 2013

AM/PM: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, December 13, 2013

AM/PM
“AM” stands for the Latin phrase Ante Meridiem—which means “before noon”—and “PM” stands for Post Meridiem: “after noon.” Although digital clocks routinely label noon “12:00 PM” you should avoid this expression not only because it is incorrect, but because many people will imagine you are talking about midnight instead. The same goes for “12:00 AM.” You can say or write “twelve noon,” “noon sharp,” or “exactly at noon” when you want to designate a precise time.

It is now rare to see periods placed after these abbreviations as in “A.M.”; but in formal writing it is still preferable to capitalize them, though the lower-case “am” and “pm” are now so popular they are not likely to get you into trouble.

Occasionally computer programs encourage you to write “AM” and “PM” without a space before them, but others will misread your data if you omit the space. The nonstandard habit of omitting the space is spreading rapidly, and should be avoided in formal writing.

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

tripple/triple: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, December 12, 2013

tripple/triple
Don’t double the P in “triple.” Don’t be confused by the fact that Triple Sec is a tipple (alcoholic drink).

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Wednesday, December 11, 2013

these are them/these are they: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, December 11, 2013

these are them/these are they
Although only the pickiest listeners will cringe when you say “these are them,” the traditionally correct phrase is “these are they,” because “they” is the predicate nominative of “these.” However, if people around you seem more comfortable with “it’s me” than “it’s I,” you might as well stick with “these are them.”

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Tuesday, December 10, 2013

nonplussed: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 10, 2013

nonplussed
“Nonplussed” means to be stuck, often in a puzzling or embarrassing way, unable to go further (“non”=“no” + “plus”=“further”). It does not mean, as many people seem to think, “calm, in control.”

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Monday, December 9, 2013

advocate for/advocate: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, December 9, 2013

advocate for/advocate
When they are acting as advocates for a cause, people often say they are “advocating for,” say, traffic safety. This is not as widely accepted as “campaigning for” or “working toward.” Saying you are “advocating for the blind” leaves a lot of listeners wondering what it is you advocate for them. If you can substitute “advocate” for “advocate for,” you should do so: “I advocate for higher pay for teachers” becomes “I advocate higher pay for teachers.”

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The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

diswraught/distraught: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, December 8, 2013

diswraught/distraught
“Diswraught” is a common misspelling of “distraught.”

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The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Saturday, December 7, 2013

end result: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, December 7, 2013

end result
Usually a redundancy. Most of the time plain “result” will do fine.


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The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Friday, December 6, 2013

error/err: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, December 6, 2013

error/err
When you commit an error you err. The expression is “to err is human.”




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Thursday, December 5, 2013

Islams/Muslims: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, December 5, 2013

Islams/Muslims
Followers of Islam are called “Muslims,” not “Islams.” Muslim is now widely preferred over the older and less phonetically accurate Moslem.

The S in “Islam” and “Muslim” is sibilant like the S in “saint.” It should not be pronounced with a Z sound.

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The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

prophecy/prophesy: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, December 4, 2013

prophecy/prophesy
“Prophecy,” the noun (pronounced “PROF-a-see”), is a prediction. The verb “to prophesy” (pronounced “PROF-a-sigh”) means to predict something. When a prophet prophesies he or she utters prophecies.

Outside of Bob Dylan’s lyrics, writers and critics do not “prophesize.” They prophesy.

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When is an error common? Paul Brians' latest blog entry provides the details.

The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

alright/all right: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, December 3, 2013

alright/all right
The correct form of this phrase has become so rare in the popular press that many readers have probably never noticed that it is actually two words. But if you want to avoid irritating traditionalists you’d better tell them that you feel “all right” rather than “alright.”


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The new edition of Common Errors in English Usage is now shipping, and it makes a great gift. When you order 5–9 copies and use the coupon code FIFTEEN, you pay only $13.48 each. Order 10 or more for just $12.15 each. All with free shipping in the US. Single-copy shoppers can still use the coupon code and get the new edition for $15.

Monday, December 2, 2013

point being is that: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, December 2, 2013

point being is that
“The point being is that” is redundant; say just “the point is that” or “the point being that.”


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Sunday, December 1, 2013

noone/no one: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, December 1, 2013

noone/no one
Shall we meet at Ye Olde Sandwyche Shoppe at Noone? “No one” is always two separate words, unlike “anyone” and “someone.”

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