Friday, July 24, 2015

fluke: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, July 24, 2015

fluke
A fluke was originally a lucky stroke in billiards, and it still means a fortunate chance event. It is nonstandard to use the word to label an unfortunate chance event. There are lucky flukes, but no unlucky ones.



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Paul Brians' latest blog post shows he's hip to the correct spelling of "tie-dye."

This is the tenth year of the Common Errors in English Usage calendar. To celebrate, we are bringing back some of our favorite interesting, funny, but sometimes merely silly entries through the years before going on hiatus in 2016.

Enjoy the calendar? Buy the book!

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