everytime/every time
“Every time” is always two separate words.
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
portentious/portentous: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 29, 2014
portentious/portentous
People being pretentious get confused about “portentous,” which is related to “portents”—omens.
People being pretentious get confused about “portentous,” which is related to “portents”—omens.
Monday, April 28, 2014
touch bases/touch base: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, April 28, 2014
touch bases/touch base
Although in baseball a home-run hitter has to touch all four bases while whizzing past, when you propose to linger with someone long enough to compare notes you do all your chatting at a single base. The expression is “let’s touch base.”
Although in baseball a home-run hitter has to touch all four bases while whizzing past, when you propose to linger with someone long enough to compare notes you do all your chatting at a single base. The expression is “let’s touch base.”
Friday, April 25, 2014
stress on/feel stress: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, April 25–27, 2014
stress on/feel stress
“Stress on” is commonly misused to mean “to experience stress” as in “I’m stressing on the term paper I have to do.” Still informal, but better, is “I’m stressed about. . . .” In a more formal context you could express the same idea by saying “I’m anxious about. . . .”
It is perfectly fine, however, to say that you place stress on something, with “stress” being a noun rather than a verb.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "I'd say 'minimum attention to speling,' too" (May 26, 2011).
“Stress on” is commonly misused to mean “to experience stress” as in “I’m stressing on the term paper I have to do.” Still informal, but better, is “I’m stressed about. . . .” In a more formal context you could express the same idea by saying “I’m anxious about. . . .”
It is perfectly fine, however, to say that you place stress on something, with “stress” being a noun rather than a verb.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "I'd say 'minimum attention to speling,' too" (May 26, 2011).
Thursday, April 24, 2014
thanks God/thank God: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, April 24, 2014
thanks God/thank God
I suppose if you wanted to express your gratitude directly to the deity you might appropriately say “Thanks, God, for helping our team win the big game.” More appropriate is something more formal, like “Thank you, God.” In any case, the general expression when it’s not specifically meant as a prayer is not “thanks God,” but “thank God.” Not “Thanks God Emily hit a homer in this last inning,” but “thank God“ she did.
I suppose if you wanted to express your gratitude directly to the deity you might appropriately say “Thanks, God, for helping our team win the big game.” More appropriate is something more formal, like “Thank you, God.” In any case, the general expression when it’s not specifically meant as a prayer is not “thanks God,” but “thank God.” Not “Thanks God Emily hit a homer in this last inning,” but “thank God“ she did.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
return back/return: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, April 23, 2014
return back/return
“Return back” is a redundancy. Use just “return,” unless you mean to say instead “turn back.”
_____________
Culinary tip of the day: Lentils can be delicious; lintels, not so much, according to Paul Brians' latest blog entry.
“Return back” is a redundancy. Use just “return,” unless you mean to say instead “turn back.”
_____________
Culinary tip of the day: Lentils can be delicious; lintels, not so much, according to Paul Brians' latest blog entry.
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
vintage point/vantage point: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 22, 2014
vintage point/vantage point
The spot from which you have a good view is a vantage point.
_____________
Paul Brians' latest blog post gives the literary background to an example sentence in his "bounce/bounds" entry. Added bonus: You can follow Paul's link to learn all about spelunking.
The spot from which you have a good view is a vantage point.
_____________
Paul Brians' latest blog post gives the literary background to an example sentence in his "bounce/bounds" entry. Added bonus: You can follow Paul's link to learn all about spelunking.
Monday, April 21, 2014
wreckless/reckless: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, April 21, 2014
wreckless/reckless
This word has nothing to do with creating the potential for a wreck. Rather it involves not reckoning carefully all the hazards involved in an action. The correct spelling is therefore “reckless.”
This word has nothing to do with creating the potential for a wreck. Rather it involves not reckoning carefully all the hazards involved in an action. The correct spelling is therefore “reckless.”
Friday, April 18, 2014
toe a fine line/tread a fine line, toe the line: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, April 18–20, 2014
toe a fine line/tread a fine line, toe the line
When you tread (or walk) a fine line, you are trying to keep your balance between two alternatives, rather as if you were walking carefully along a narrow tightrope. Neighbors have to tread a fine line between being friendly and being nosy. A related expression is “there is a fine line between” two alternatives: “there’s a fine line between enthusiasm and fanaticism.” In this case you aren’t traveling along the line, but crossing over it. The fineness of the line suggests how subtly the two alternatives blend into each other. The first expression is used when you’re being cautious; the second is used when you’re observing how close two alternatives are to each other.
The expression “toe the line” means something rather different. It describes toes obediently and conscientiously lined up for review, military style. It refers to situations in which you are trying to be very careful to follow the rules, do precisely the right thing. Strict parents make their children toe the line.
It does not involve the emphasis on alternatives referred to by the other expressions. Envision yourself standing in front of a line like the starting line for a race. Such a line need not be particularly fine. What is emphasized here is the straightness of the line. But many people confuse “tread a fine line” with “toe the line” and use the mangled expression “toe a fine line.”
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "How Much Is Lip Service Worth?" (July 18, 2012).
When you tread (or walk) a fine line, you are trying to keep your balance between two alternatives, rather as if you were walking carefully along a narrow tightrope. Neighbors have to tread a fine line between being friendly and being nosy. A related expression is “there is a fine line between” two alternatives: “there’s a fine line between enthusiasm and fanaticism.” In this case you aren’t traveling along the line, but crossing over it. The fineness of the line suggests how subtly the two alternatives blend into each other. The first expression is used when you’re being cautious; the second is used when you’re observing how close two alternatives are to each other.
The expression “toe the line” means something rather different. It describes toes obediently and conscientiously lined up for review, military style. It refers to situations in which you are trying to be very careful to follow the rules, do precisely the right thing. Strict parents make their children toe the line.
It does not involve the emphasis on alternatives referred to by the other expressions. Envision yourself standing in front of a line like the starting line for a race. Such a line need not be particularly fine. What is emphasized here is the straightness of the line. But many people confuse “tread a fine line” with “toe the line” and use the mangled expression “toe a fine line.”
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "How Much Is Lip Service Worth?" (July 18, 2012).
Thursday, April 17, 2014
bemuse/amuse: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, April 17, 2014
bemuse/amuse
When you bemuse someone, you confuse them, and not necessarily in an entertaining way. Don’t confuse this word with “amuse.”
When you bemuse someone, you confuse them, and not necessarily in an entertaining way. Don’t confuse this word with “amuse.”
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
all ready/already: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, April 16, 2014
all ready/already
“All ready” is a phrase meaning “completely prepared,” as in, “As soon as I put my coat on, I’ll be all ready.” “Already,” however, is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in, “What do you mean you’d rather stay home? I’ve already got my coat on.”
“All ready” is a phrase meaning “completely prepared,” as in, “As soon as I put my coat on, I’ll be all ready.” “Already,” however, is an adverb used to describe something that has happened before a certain time, as in, “What do you mean you’d rather stay home? I’ve already got my coat on.”
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
subject to/subjected to: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 15, 2014
subject to/subjected to
“I was told I could board the airplane subject to a security scan.”
“At the airport I was subjected to a humiliating search.”
Does it help you to distinguish between these expressions to know that “subject” in the first example is an adverb and “subjected” in the second example is a verb? Didn’t think so.
Although these two expressions can sometimes be switched with only a slight change in meaning, they are not equivalent. To be subjected to some sort of treatment is to actually be treated in that way, usually in an objectionable way.
But to be subject to a regulation, to taxes, to discussion, to inspection, to any sort of condition, is to be liable to it. In some contexts, the conditional action is mandatory: “Shipment will be made subject to approval of your charge card.” In others, the conditional action may be theoretical, not uniformly enforced: “This Web page is subject to change.” Many people mistakenly use “subjected to” in this sort of context.
“I was told I could board the airplane subject to a security scan.”
“At the airport I was subjected to a humiliating search.”
Does it help you to distinguish between these expressions to know that “subject” in the first example is an adverb and “subjected” in the second example is a verb? Didn’t think so.
Although these two expressions can sometimes be switched with only a slight change in meaning, they are not equivalent. To be subjected to some sort of treatment is to actually be treated in that way, usually in an objectionable way.
But to be subject to a regulation, to taxes, to discussion, to inspection, to any sort of condition, is to be liable to it. In some contexts, the conditional action is mandatory: “Shipment will be made subject to approval of your charge card.” In others, the conditional action may be theoretical, not uniformly enforced: “This Web page is subject to change.” Many people mistakenly use “subjected to” in this sort of context.
Monday, April 14, 2014
gauge/gouge: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, April 14, 2014
gauge/gouge
“Gauge” is an unusual spelling in English, and the word frequently gets misspelled. Your spelling-checker will catch “gague” (believe it!), but won’t catch “gouge,” which occurs more often than you might think. It’s pretty easy to find a “tire pressure gouge” for sale on the Web. If the word you want has an A sound in it, the spelling you want is “gauge.”
“Gauge” is an unusual spelling in English, and the word frequently gets misspelled. Your spelling-checker will catch “gague” (believe it!), but won’t catch “gouge,” which occurs more often than you might think. It’s pretty easy to find a “tire pressure gouge” for sale on the Web. If the word you want has an A sound in it, the spelling you want is “gauge.”
Friday, April 11, 2014
us/we: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, April 11–13, 2014
us/we
“We” is a subject form, “us” an object. We do things; things are done to or for us.
If this doesn’t help, you can try a couple of simple tests. If you are clear about the difference between “I” and “me,” try making your sentence singular. “We” becomes “I” in the singular and “us” becomes “me.”
“Our mothers and us are going shopping” becomes “my mother and me are going shopping”—which is wrong. So the sentences should read “My mother and I are going shopping” and “Our mothers and we are going shopping.”
But if that doesn’t seem obvious, try eliminating everything but the pronoun and the verb: “Us are going shopping” should be “we are going shopping.”
Test a sentence like “us girls have sold more calendars than the guys” by reducing it to “us have sold.” This sounds wrong. It should be “We girls have sold.”
But “they gave us girls the prize” is correct because “they gave us the prize” is also correct.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "Tendonitis" (July 8, 2012).
“We” is a subject form, “us” an object. We do things; things are done to or for us.
If this doesn’t help, you can try a couple of simple tests. If you are clear about the difference between “I” and “me,” try making your sentence singular. “We” becomes “I” in the singular and “us” becomes “me.”
“Our mothers and us are going shopping” becomes “my mother and me are going shopping”—which is wrong. So the sentences should read “My mother and I are going shopping” and “Our mothers and we are going shopping.”
But if that doesn’t seem obvious, try eliminating everything but the pronoun and the verb: “Us are going shopping” should be “we are going shopping.”
Test a sentence like “us girls have sold more calendars than the guys” by reducing it to “us have sold.” This sounds wrong. It should be “We girls have sold.”
But “they gave us girls the prize” is correct because “they gave us the prize” is also correct.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "Tendonitis" (July 8, 2012).
Thursday, April 10, 2014
zoology: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, April 10, 2014
zoology
Both O’s in “zoo” are needed to create the “oo” sound in this word; but the same is not true of words like “zoology” and “zoologist.” Here each O has its own sound: “oh” followed by “ah.” The first two syllables rhyme with “boa.”
Then there is a whole class of technical words like “zooplankton” where both O’s are pronounced “oh,” though the second “oh” is pronounced so weakly it comes out more like “uh.” But if you need to speak such words, you probably know how to pronounce them already.
Both O’s in “zoo” are needed to create the “oo” sound in this word; but the same is not true of words like “zoology” and “zoologist.” Here each O has its own sound: “oh” followed by “ah.” The first two syllables rhyme with “boa.”
Then there is a whole class of technical words like “zooplankton” where both O’s are pronounced “oh,” though the second “oh” is pronounced so weakly it comes out more like “uh.” But if you need to speak such words, you probably know how to pronounce them already.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
sacred/scared: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, April 9, 2014
sacred/scared
This is one of those silly typos which your spelling checker won’t catch: gods are sacred, the damned in Hell are scared.
This is one of those silly typos which your spelling checker won’t catch: gods are sacred, the damned in Hell are scared.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
weiner/wiener: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 8, 2014
weiner/wiener
The Vienna sausage from the city the Austrians call Wien inspired the American hot dog, or wiener. Americans aren’t used to the European pronunciation of IE as “ee” and often misspell the word as “weiner.”
The Vienna sausage from the city the Austrians call Wien inspired the American hot dog, or wiener. Americans aren’t used to the European pronunciation of IE as “ee” and often misspell the word as “weiner.”
Monday, April 7, 2014
ringer/wringer: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, April 7, 2014
ringer/wringer
Old-fashioned washing machines lacked a spin cycle. Instead, you fed each piece of wet clothing between two rotating cylinders which would wring the excess water out of the cloth. This led to the metaphorical saying according to which someone put through an ordeal is said to have been put “through the wringer.”
Few people remember those old wringer washers, and many of them now mistakenly suppose the spelling of the expression should be “through the ringer.” This error has been reinforced by the title of a popular album by the band Catch 22: Washed Up and Through the Ringer.
Old-fashioned washing machines lacked a spin cycle. Instead, you fed each piece of wet clothing between two rotating cylinders which would wring the excess water out of the cloth. This led to the metaphorical saying according to which someone put through an ordeal is said to have been put “through the wringer.”
Few people remember those old wringer washers, and many of them now mistakenly suppose the spelling of the expression should be “through the ringer.” This error has been reinforced by the title of a popular album by the band Catch 22: Washed Up and Through the Ringer.
Friday, April 4, 2014
discretion is the better part of valor: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, April 4–6, 2014
discretion is the better part of valor
In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I when Prince Hal finds the cowardly Falstaff pretending to be dead on the battlefield, the prince assumes he has been killed. After the prince leaves the stage, Falstaff rationalizes “The better part of Valour, is Discretion; in the which better part, I haue saued my life” (spelling and punctuation from the First Folio, Act 5, Scene 3, lines 3085–3086).
Falstaff is saying that the best part of courage is caution, which we are to take as a joke. Truly courageous people may be cautious, but caution is not the most important characteristic of courage.
This passage is loosely alluded to in the saying “discretion is the better part of valor,” which is usually taken to mean that caution is better than rash courage or that discretion is the best kind of courage. Only Shakespeare scholars are likely to be annoyed by this usage.
However, those who take “discretion” in this context to mean the quality of being discreet—cautiously quiet—are more likely to annoy their readers.
Much more of a problem are misspellings like “descretion,” “disgression,” “digression,” and “desecration.” Unless you are deliberately punning, stick with “discretion.”
__________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "How to verify standard English usage: an explicit guide" (December 11, 2012).
In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part I when Prince Hal finds the cowardly Falstaff pretending to be dead on the battlefield, the prince assumes he has been killed. After the prince leaves the stage, Falstaff rationalizes “The better part of Valour, is Discretion; in the which better part, I haue saued my life” (spelling and punctuation from the First Folio, Act 5, Scene 3, lines 3085–3086).
Falstaff is saying that the best part of courage is caution, which we are to take as a joke. Truly courageous people may be cautious, but caution is not the most important characteristic of courage.
This passage is loosely alluded to in the saying “discretion is the better part of valor,” which is usually taken to mean that caution is better than rash courage or that discretion is the best kind of courage. Only Shakespeare scholars are likely to be annoyed by this usage.
However, those who take “discretion” in this context to mean the quality of being discreet—cautiously quiet—are more likely to annoy their readers.
Much more of a problem are misspellings like “descretion,” “disgression,” “digression,” and “desecration.” Unless you are deliberately punning, stick with “discretion.”
__________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "How to verify standard English usage: an explicit guide" (December 11, 2012).
Thursday, April 3, 2014
just so happens/just happen: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, April 3, 2014
just so happens/just happen
Traditionally the expression “just so happens” is used only with the subject “it,” with the word “so” providing emphasis: “Thank you for inviting me to your softball game, but it just so happens to be on the same date as my wedding, as you very well know since you are supposed to be my best man.” Expressions such as the following are popular but non-traditional: “I just so happen,” “she just so happens,” “they just so happen,” etc. In each of these cases, the “so” should be omitted.
Traditionally the expression “just so happens” is used only with the subject “it,” with the word “so” providing emphasis: “Thank you for inviting me to your softball game, but it just so happens to be on the same date as my wedding, as you very well know since you are supposed to be my best man.” Expressions such as the following are popular but non-traditional: “I just so happen,” “she just so happens,” “they just so happen,” etc. In each of these cases, the “so” should be omitted.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
acapella, a capella/a cappella: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, April 2, 2014
acapella, a capella/a cappella
In referring to singing unaccompanied by instruments, the traditional spelling is the Italian one, a cappella: two words, two Ps, two Ls. The Latin spelling a capella is learned, but in the realm of musical terminology, we usually stick with Italian. The one-word spelling “acapella” is widely used by Americans, including by some performing groups, but musical experts generally regard this as an error.
In referring to singing unaccompanied by instruments, the traditional spelling is the Italian one, a cappella: two words, two Ps, two Ls. The Latin spelling a capella is learned, but in the realm of musical terminology, we usually stick with Italian. The one-word spelling “acapella” is widely used by Americans, including by some performing groups, but musical experts generally regard this as an error.
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
blonde/blond: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, April 1, 2014
blonde/blond
Few people will care which spelling you use, but there are some interesting points to observe about “blonde” and “blond.”
In the original French and in traditional English usage, “blonde” is female and “blond” is male: it’s “a blonde woman” and “a blond man.”
Hair itself has no gender in English, but we usually use the female spelling in the phrase “blonde hair.” Similarly, furniture made of light-colored wood is most often referred to as “blonde.”
When someone is referred to as “a blonde” we almost always think of a woman, even if the spelling used is “a blond.” Feminists point out that typically only women are reduced to their hair color in this way, and that it can be offensive. Note that there is a whole category of “blonde jokes” stereotyping these women as air-headed. However, when the word refers specifically to hair color in a useful way, no one is likely to object: “She is a blonde with very light skin, so she has to use a lot of sunscreen.”
Oddly, we rarely use the French masculine spelling brunet. Anyone can have brunette hair, although “brunettes” like “blondes” are usually assumed to be women.
Few people will care which spelling you use, but there are some interesting points to observe about “blonde” and “blond.”
In the original French and in traditional English usage, “blonde” is female and “blond” is male: it’s “a blonde woman” and “a blond man.”
Hair itself has no gender in English, but we usually use the female spelling in the phrase “blonde hair.” Similarly, furniture made of light-colored wood is most often referred to as “blonde.”
When someone is referred to as “a blonde” we almost always think of a woman, even if the spelling used is “a blond.” Feminists point out that typically only women are reduced to their hair color in this way, and that it can be offensive. Note that there is a whole category of “blonde jokes” stereotyping these women as air-headed. However, when the word refers specifically to hair color in a useful way, no one is likely to object: “She is a blonde with very light skin, so she has to use a lot of sunscreen.”
Oddly, we rarely use the French masculine spelling brunet. Anyone can have brunette hair, although “brunettes” like “blondes” are usually assumed to be women.
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