bit/bitten
When Walter Brennan in To Have and Have Not asks “Was you ever bit by a dead bee?” the effect is to illustrate his folksy, semiliterate way of speaking. The traditional way to phrase this question would be “Were you ever stung by a dead bee?”
The simple past form of “bite” is “bit,” as in “Their dog bit the paper carrier.” But the past participle is “bitten,” as in “The paper carrier was bitten by their dog.”
In common expressions about becoming enthusiastic about something, like “bit by the genealogy bug” the verb should technically be “bitten,” but “bit” is so common that it’s not likely to be noticed. In other contexts where you are not sure which one works best, try “bitten.” If it sounds OK, go with it.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "A Mountain or Pit of Debt?" (June 2, 2011).
Friday, May 30, 2014
Thursday, May 29, 2014
admission/admittance: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, May 29, 2014
admission/admittance
“Admission” is a much more common word than “admittance” and is a good choice for almost all contexts. You may gain admission or admittance to a college, but you’ll probably be dealing with its admissions office. When “admittance” is used, it’s most likely to refer to physical entry into some place or other, as is indicated by signs saying “No Admittance.”
In electronics, admittance is the opposite of impedance.
“Admission” is a much more common word than “admittance” and is a good choice for almost all contexts. You may gain admission or admittance to a college, but you’ll probably be dealing with its admissions office. When “admittance” is used, it’s most likely to refer to physical entry into some place or other, as is indicated by signs saying “No Admittance.”
In electronics, admittance is the opposite of impedance.
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
various/several: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, May 28, 2014
various/several
Many people say, “She heard from various of the committee members that they wanted to cancel the next meeting.” “Several of the committee members” would be better.
Many people say, “She heard from various of the committee members that they wanted to cancel the next meeting.” “Several of the committee members” would be better.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
coronate/crown: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, May 27, 2014
coronate/crown
A person is crowned, not coronated. “Coronate” is improperly derived from “coronation,” but “crown” is the original and still standard form of the verb.
But don’t be in too big a hurry to declare that there is “no such word”: “coronate” means “crown-shaped,” and has various uses in biology.
A person is crowned, not coronated. “Coronate” is improperly derived from “coronation,” but “crown” is the original and still standard form of the verb.
But don’t be in too big a hurry to declare that there is “no such word”: “coronate” means “crown-shaped,” and has various uses in biology.
Monday, May 26, 2014
dozed/dosed: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, May 26, 2014
dozed/dosed
You can be dosed with a drug (given a dose of it), but if it makes you drowsy you may find you have dozed off.
You can be dosed with a drug (given a dose of it), but if it makes you drowsy you may find you have dozed off.
Friday, May 23, 2014
standalone/stand-alone: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, May 23–25, 2014
standalone/stand-alone
Despite the fact that it’s been slow to appear in traditional dictionaries, the adjective “standalone”—meaning “independent”—has become hugely popular in recent years. There are standalone electronic devices, standalone computer applications, and standalone businesses. Authors known mainly for writing books in a series who decide to write a single work unconnected with any series are said to have written a standalone novel.
You’re more likely to find what you’re looking for in dictionaries under the hyphenated spelling “stand-alone.” Formal edited English still usually prefers this version. There is a strong tendency for such hyphenated forms as “on-line” to get smooshed together into one-word spellings (for instance, “online” is now standard as an adjective). That process is clearly happening with “stand-alone,” but it’s safer to use the hyphen unless you know for sure that the audience you are writing for prefers the unhyphenated form: write “stand-alone device,” etc.
Rendering this adjectival form as two unhyphenated words (“a stand alone device”) is just a mistake.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "A Cup of Grease for the Marquess!" (February 20, 2013).
Despite the fact that it’s been slow to appear in traditional dictionaries, the adjective “standalone”—meaning “independent”—has become hugely popular in recent years. There are standalone electronic devices, standalone computer applications, and standalone businesses. Authors known mainly for writing books in a series who decide to write a single work unconnected with any series are said to have written a standalone novel.
You’re more likely to find what you’re looking for in dictionaries under the hyphenated spelling “stand-alone.” Formal edited English still usually prefers this version. There is a strong tendency for such hyphenated forms as “on-line” to get smooshed together into one-word spellings (for instance, “online” is now standard as an adjective). That process is clearly happening with “stand-alone,” but it’s safer to use the hyphen unless you know for sure that the audience you are writing for prefers the unhyphenated form: write “stand-alone device,” etc.
Rendering this adjectival form as two unhyphenated words (“a stand alone device”) is just a mistake.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "A Cup of Grease for the Marquess!" (February 20, 2013).
Thursday, May 22, 2014
had ought/ought: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, May 22, 2014
had ought/ought
Just say, “She ought to come in before she drowns,” not “had ought.”
Just say, “She ought to come in before she drowns,” not “had ought.”
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
seperate/separate: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, May 21, 2014
seperate/separate
“Separate” has two A’s separated by an R.
“Separate” has two A’s separated by an R.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
perverse/perverted: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, May 20, 2014
perverse/perverted
The sex-related meanings of words tend to drive out all other meanings. Most people think of both “perverse” and “perverted” only in contexts having to do with desire; but “perverse” properly has the function of signifying “stubborn,” “wrong-headed.” Nothing erotic is suggested by this sort of thing: “Josh perversely insisted on carving wooden replacement parts for his 1958 Ford’s engine.” It’s better to use “perverted” in relation to abnormal sexual desires; but this word also has non-sexual functions, as in “The bake-sale was perverted by Gladys into a fundraiser for her poker habit.”
People sometimes mispronounce “pervert” as “PREE-vert.”
_________
You can read Paul Brians' latest blog post right away.
The sex-related meanings of words tend to drive out all other meanings. Most people think of both “perverse” and “perverted” only in contexts having to do with desire; but “perverse” properly has the function of signifying “stubborn,” “wrong-headed.” Nothing erotic is suggested by this sort of thing: “Josh perversely insisted on carving wooden replacement parts for his 1958 Ford’s engine.” It’s better to use “perverted” in relation to abnormal sexual desires; but this word also has non-sexual functions, as in “The bake-sale was perverted by Gladys into a fundraiser for her poker habit.”
People sometimes mispronounce “pervert” as “PREE-vert.”
_________
You can read Paul Brians' latest blog post right away.
Monday, May 19, 2014
whip cream/whipped cream: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, May 19, 2014
whip cream/whipped cream
You whip cream until it becomes whipped cream; and that’s what you should write on the menu.
You whip cream until it becomes whipped cream; and that’s what you should write on the menu.
Friday, May 16, 2014
us/we: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, May 16–18, 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: "Perilous Play" (November 16, 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: "Perilous Play" (November 16, 2012).
Thursday, May 15, 2014
where it’s at: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, May 15, 2014
where it’s at
This slang expression gained widespread currency in the 1960s as a hip way of stating that the speaker understood the essential truth of a situation: “I know where it’s at.” Or more commonly, “You don’t know where it’s at.” It is still heard from time to time with that meaning, but the user risks being labeled as a quaint old baby boomer. However, standard usage never accepted the literal sense of the phrase. Don’t say, “I put my purse down and now I don’t know where it’s at,” unless you want to be regarded as uneducated. “Where it is” will do fine; the “at” is redundant.
This slang expression gained widespread currency in the 1960s as a hip way of stating that the speaker understood the essential truth of a situation: “I know where it’s at.” Or more commonly, “You don’t know where it’s at.” It is still heard from time to time with that meaning, but the user risks being labeled as a quaint old baby boomer. However, standard usage never accepted the literal sense of the phrase. Don’t say, “I put my purse down and now I don’t know where it’s at,” unless you want to be regarded as uneducated. “Where it is” will do fine; the “at” is redundant.
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
supremist/supremacist: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, May 14, 2014
supremist/supremacist
A neo-Nazi is a white supremacist, not “supremist.”
A neo-Nazi is a white supremacist, not “supremist.”
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Old English: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Old English
Many people refer to any older form of English as “Old English,” but this is properly a technical term for Anglo-Saxon, the original language in which Beowulf was written. Norman French combined with Old English to create Middle English, one form of which was used by Geoffrey Chaucer to write The Canterbury Tales. By Shakespeare’s time the language is modern English, though it may seem antique to modern readers who aren’t used to it.
There are many “Old English” typefaces which have nothing to do with the Old English language.
____________
What does the Queen of Sheba have to do with Common Errors in English Usage? Paul Brians' latest blog post explains.
Many people refer to any older form of English as “Old English,” but this is properly a technical term for Anglo-Saxon, the original language in which Beowulf was written. Norman French combined with Old English to create Middle English, one form of which was used by Geoffrey Chaucer to write The Canterbury Tales. By Shakespeare’s time the language is modern English, though it may seem antique to modern readers who aren’t used to it.
There are many “Old English” typefaces which have nothing to do with the Old English language.
____________
What does the Queen of Sheba have to do with Common Errors in English Usage? Paul Brians' latest blog post explains.
Monday, May 12, 2014
indite/indict: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, May 12, 2014
indite/indict
“Indite” is a rare word meaning “to write down.”
Authorities indict a person charged with a crime. This act is called an “indictment.” The C is not pronounced in these words, so that “indict” sounds exactly like “indite,” but don’t let that cause you to misspell them.
“Indite” is a rare word meaning “to write down.”
Authorities indict a person charged with a crime. This act is called an “indictment.” The C is not pronounced in these words, so that “indict” sounds exactly like “indite,” but don’t let that cause you to misspell them.
Friday, May 9, 2014
coat strings/coat tails: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, May 9–11, 2014
coat strings/coat tails
A person deriving unearned benefits by being attached to another is riding on his or her coat tails. This expression derives from the long tails on men’s old-fashioned coats.
A person clinging to another’s apron strings is excessively dependent on him or her, like a small child hanging on to its mother’s clothing.
These two expressions are often mistakenly blended. The result is statements such as “she hoped to succeed by clinging to her boss’s coat strings” and “he is still clinging to his mother’s coat strings.” Some coats have strings, but “coat strings” is not standard usage in either of these sorts of expressions.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "Hazard a Guess" (June 28, 2012).
A person deriving unearned benefits by being attached to another is riding on his or her coat tails. This expression derives from the long tails on men’s old-fashioned coats.
A person clinging to another’s apron strings is excessively dependent on him or her, like a small child hanging on to its mother’s clothing.
These two expressions are often mistakenly blended. The result is statements such as “she hoped to succeed by clinging to her boss’s coat strings” and “he is still clinging to his mother’s coat strings.” Some coats have strings, but “coat strings” is not standard usage in either of these sorts of expressions.
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "Hazard a Guess" (June 28, 2012).
Thursday, May 8, 2014
somewhat of a/somewhat, something of a: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, May 8, 2014
somewhat of a/somewhat, something of a
This error is the result of confusing two perfectly good usages: “She is somewhat awkward” and “He is something of a klutz.” Use one or the other instead.
This error is the result of confusing two perfectly good usages: “She is somewhat awkward” and “He is something of a klutz.” Use one or the other instead.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
straight/strait: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, May 7, 2014
straight/strait
The old word “strait” (“narrow, tight”) has survived only as a noun in geography referring to a narrow body of water (“the Bering Strait”) and in a few adjectival uses such as “straitjacket” (a narrowly confining garment) and “strait-laced” (literally laced up tightly, but usually meaning narrow-minded). Its unfamiliarity causes many people to mistakenly substitute the more common “straight.”
The old word “strait” (“narrow, tight”) has survived only as a noun in geography referring to a narrow body of water (“the Bering Strait”) and in a few adjectival uses such as “straitjacket” (a narrowly confining garment) and “strait-laced” (literally laced up tightly, but usually meaning narrow-minded). Its unfamiliarity causes many people to mistakenly substitute the more common “straight.”
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
persecute/prosecute: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, May 6, 2014
persecute/prosecute
When you persecute someone, you’re treating them badly, whether they deserve it or not; but only legal officers can prosecute someone for a crime.
When you persecute someone, you’re treating them badly, whether they deserve it or not; but only legal officers can prosecute someone for a crime.
Monday, May 5, 2014
sorta speak/so to speak: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, May 5, 2014
sorta speak/so to speak
The expression “sorta speak” seems to be quite common. Some people will “correct” you by saying it should be pronounced and written “sort of speak.”
But neither form is standard. When you use an expression that is not meant entirely literally, or is slang or informal, you may follow it with “so to speak” or “in a manner of speaking.” It is most appropriately used to acknowledge that you have just expressed an idea in an unusual fashion.
Some people use it to label statements that are simply untrue, but that is stretching the expression too far.
Examples of standard usage: “They had money to burn, so to speak.” “He went ballistic, so to speak.” “In my college years I was an academic nomad, so to speak.”
Other similar expressions are “as it were,” “in a manner of speaking,” and “figuratively speaking.”
A much less common but more amusing misspelling than “sorta speak” is “soda speak.”
The expression “sorta speak” seems to be quite common. Some people will “correct” you by saying it should be pronounced and written “sort of speak.”
But neither form is standard. When you use an expression that is not meant entirely literally, or is slang or informal, you may follow it with “so to speak” or “in a manner of speaking.” It is most appropriately used to acknowledge that you have just expressed an idea in an unusual fashion.
Some people use it to label statements that are simply untrue, but that is stretching the expression too far.
Examples of standard usage: “They had money to burn, so to speak.” “He went ballistic, so to speak.” “In my college years I was an academic nomad, so to speak.”
Other similar expressions are “as it were,” “in a manner of speaking,” and “figuratively speaking.”
A much less common but more amusing misspelling than “sorta speak” is “soda speak.”
Friday, May 2, 2014
execute on/execute: The Weekend Edition—Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday–Sunday, May 2–4, 2014
execute on/execute
In the business world you’ll see statements like “we need to execute on the strategy we planned.” “Execute” all by itself can mean “carry out.” The “on” is completely unnecessary.
Perhaps these people are influenced by another meaning of the word “execute”: to carry out a sentence of death. Are they thinking there is something too final about “execute” unless they add “on” to make it active?
Most of the time “act on” or “carry out” would be better than “execute on.”
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "The Skinny on Noses vs. Teeth" (November 16, 2012).
In the business world you’ll see statements like “we need to execute on the strategy we planned.” “Execute” all by itself can mean “carry out.” The “on” is completely unnecessary.
Perhaps these people are influenced by another meaning of the word “execute”: to carry out a sentence of death. Are they thinking there is something too final about “execute” unless they add “on” to make it active?
Most of the time “act on” or “carry out” would be better than “execute on.”
___________
The Week's End Extra from the Archives: "The Skinny on Noses vs. Teeth" (November 16, 2012).
Thursday, May 1, 2014
confident/confidant/confidante: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, May 1, 2014
confident/confidant/confidante
In modern English “confident” is almost always an adjective. Having studied for a test you feel confident about passing it. You’re in a confident frame of mind. This spelling is often misused as a noun meaning “person you confide in,” especially in the misspelled phrase “close confident.”
The spelling “confidante” suggests that such a close friend might be a female, and conservatives prefer to confine its use to refer to women. But this spelling is also very common for males, and the spelling “confidant” is also used of both males and females. Either one will do in most contexts, but the person you trust with your deep secrets is not your “confident.”
In modern English “confident” is almost always an adjective. Having studied for a test you feel confident about passing it. You’re in a confident frame of mind. This spelling is often misused as a noun meaning “person you confide in,” especially in the misspelled phrase “close confident.”
The spelling “confidante” suggests that such a close friend might be a female, and conservatives prefer to confine its use to refer to women. But this spelling is also very common for males, and the spelling “confidant” is also used of both males and females. Either one will do in most contexts, but the person you trust with your deep secrets is not your “confident.”
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