Saturday, October 31, 2015

by far and away/by far, far and away: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, October 31, 2015

by far and away/by far, far and away 
You could say that Halloween is by far your favorite holiday, or you can say that it’s far and away your favorite holiday; but if you combine the two expressions and say “by far and away” you’ll annoy some people and puzzle others who can’t figure out why it doesn’t sound quite right.






















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Blue moons are not just for Kentucky. In episode #5 of the Common Errors in English Usage podcast, Paul Brians discusses the origin of "Once in a blue moon."

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!


Friday, October 30, 2015

role/roll: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, October 30, 2015

role/roll 
An actor plays a role. Bill Gates is the entrepreneur’s role model. But you eat a sausage on a roll and roll out the barrel. To take attendance, you call the roll.


 


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Blue moons are not just for Kentucky. In episode #5 of the Common Errors in English Usage podcast, Paul Brians discusses the origin of "Once in a blue moon."

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!




Thursday, October 29, 2015

scotch free/scot free: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, October 29, 2015

scotch free/scot free 
Getting away with something “scot free” has nothing to do with the Scots (or Scotch). The scot was a medieval tax; if you evaded paying it you got off scot free. Some people wrongly suppose this phrase alludes to Dred Scott, the American slave who unsuccessfully sued for his freedom. The phrase is “scot free”: no H, one T.


 


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Blue moons are not just for Kentucky. In episode #5 of the Common Errors in English Usage podcast, Paul Brians discusses the origin of "Once in a blue moon."

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!





Wednesday, October 28, 2015

intricate/integral: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, October 28, 2015

intricate/integral 
An integral part of a machine, organization, or idea is a necessary, inseparable part of it. Many people mistakenly substitute “intricate” for “integral” in the phrase “an integral part.”

A very simple bit of metal can be an integral part of an intricate machine.





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Blue moons are not just for Kentucky. In episode #5 of the Common Errors in English Usage podcast, Paul Brians discusses the origin of "Once in a blue moon."

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!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

all of the sudden/all of a sudden: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, October 27, 2015

all of the sudden/all of a sudden 
An unexpected event happens not “all of the sudden” but “all of a sudden.”




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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!

Monday, October 26, 2015

money is no option/money is no object: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, October 26, 2015

money is no option/money is no object
The expression “money is no object” means that cost is no obstacle: you’re willing to pay whatever is required to get what you want.

People who don’t understand this unusual meaning of “object” often substitute “option,” saying “money is no option,” which makes no sense at all.






















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Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is all about synonyms.

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!

Sunday, October 25, 2015

barter/haggle: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, October 25, 2015

barter/haggle
When you offer to trade your vintage jeans for a handwoven shirt in Guatemala, you are engaged in barter—no money is involved. One thing (or service) is traded for another.

But when you offer to buy that shirt for less money than the vendor is asking, you are engaged in haggling or bargaining, not bartering.






















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Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is all about synonyms.

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!

Saturday, October 24, 2015

plays a factor/plays a role: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, October 24, 2015

plays a factor/plays a role 
Some people say that an influential force “plays a factor” in a decision or change. They are mixing up two different expressions: “is a factor” and “plays a role.”















___________
Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is all about synonyms.

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!

Friday, October 23, 2015

afterwards/afterwords: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, October 23, 2015

afterwards/afterwords 
Like “towards,” “forwards,” and “homewards,” “afterwards” ends with -wards.

“Afterwords” are sometimes the explanatory essays at the ends of books or speeches uttered at the end of plays or other works. They are made up of words.




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Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is all about synonyms.

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!

Thursday, October 22, 2015

hark/hearken: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, October 22, 2015

hark/hearken
One old use of the word “hark” was in hunting with hounds, meaning to turn the dogs back on their course, reverse direction. It was this use that gave rise to the expression “hark back.” It refers to returning in thought to an earlier time or returning to an earlier discussion: “That tie-died shirt harks back to the days we used to go to rock festivals together.”

The expression is not “hearkens back.” Although “hark” and “hearken” can both mean “listen,” only “hark” can mean “go back.”



















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Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is all about synonyms.

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!





Wednesday, October 21, 2015

spiritualism/spirituality: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, October 21, 2015

spiritualism/spirituality 
The most common meaning of “spiritualism” is belief in the possibility of communication with the spirits of the dead.

A better term for other religious beliefs and activities is “spirituality,” as in “I’m going to the ashram to explore my spirituality.”


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Episode 4 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is now available.

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!





Tuesday, October 20, 2015

as per/in accordance with: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, October 20, 2015

as per/in accordance with 
“Enclosed is the shipment of #2 toggle bolts as per your order of June 14” writes the businessman, unaware that not only is the “as” redundant, he is sounding very old-fashioned and pretentious. The meaning is “in accordance with,” or “in response to the request made”; but it is better to avoid these cumbersome substitutes altogether: “Enclosed is the shipment of bolts you ordered June 14.”













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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!

Monday, October 19, 2015

use/usage: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, October 19, 2015

use/usage 


“Use” and “usage” overlap somewhat, but they are not entirely synonymous. Many people treat “usage” as if it were just a fancier form of “use” in phrases like “make usage of,” where “make use of” is the standard expression. As a rule of thumb, if either “use” or “usage” seems appropriate, go with “use.”





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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!



Sunday, October 18, 2015

joint possessives: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, October 18, 2015

joint possessives 
When writing about jointly owned objects, people often fret about where to place apostrophes. The standard pattern is to treat the two partners as a single unit—a couple—and put an apostrophe only after the last name: “John and Jane’s villa,” “Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.” Add more owners and you still use only one apostrophe: “Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice’s party.”

If each person owns his or her own item, then each owner gets an apostrophe: “John’s and Jane’s cars“ (each of them separately owns a car).

But when you begin to introduce pronouns the situation becomes much murkier. “Jane and his villa” doesn’t sound right because it sounds like Jane and the villa make a pair. The most common solution—“Jane’s and his villa”—violates the rule about using the possessive form only on the last partner in the ownership. However, most people don’t care and using this form won’t raise too many eyebrows.

How about when you have two pronouns? “She and his villa” definitely won’t work. “Her and his villa” might get by, but if you say “his and her villa” you inevitably remind people of the common phrase “his and hers” with a very different meaning: male and female, as in a sale on “his and hers scarves.”

If you have time to think ahead, especially when writing, the best solution is to avoid this sort of construction altogether by rewording: “Jane and John have a villa outside Florence. Their villa is beautiful.” “The villa owned by Jane and him is beautiful.” “The villa is Jane’s and his.” “The villa that he and she own is beautiful.”

Things get tricky when using personal pronouns instead of names. Note that “I’s” is not an acceptable substitute for “my.” It’s not “directions to my wife and I’s house,” but if you say “directions to my wife and my house” it sounds as if you were providing directions to your wife plus directions to your house. Stick with simpler constructions like “our house.”

Other awkward examples you might want to avoid: “your and my shares” (better: “your share and mine”), “their and our shares” (better: their share and ours”), and “his and her shares” (not too bad, but “his share and hers” is better).






















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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!


Saturday, October 17, 2015

zeroscape/xeriscape: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, October 17, 2015

zeroscape/xeriscape 
If you nuke your front lawn I suppose you might call it a “zeroscape,” but the term for an arid-climate garden requiring little or no watering is “xeriscape” (xeri- is a Greek root meaning “dry”).

 

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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!






Friday, October 16, 2015

chalk-full/chock-full, chuck-full: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, October 16, 2015

chalk-full/chock-full, chuck-full 
Originally a person or thing stuffed to the point of choking was “choke-full.” In modern speech this expression has become “chock-full,” or in less formal American English, “chuck-full.” Chalk has nothing to do with it.






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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!




Thursday, October 15, 2015

retrospective/retroactive: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, October 15, 2015

retrospective/retroactive 
“Retrospective” has to do with looking back, as is shown by the similarity of its middle syllable to words like “spectacles.” A retrospective exhibit looks back at the earlier work of an artist.

“Retroactive,” on the other hand, refers to actions, and is about making a current change applicable to the past, especially in law. Retroactive punishment is generally considered unjust. For instance, the city council can’t pass an ordinance retroactively punishing you for having sung off-key in the karaoke bar on Main Street last Saturday night.






















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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

partake/participate: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, October 14, 2015

partake/participate 
“Partake” looks like it might mean “take part,” and that’s how many people mistakenly use it where they should say “participate.” The main modern meaning of “partake” is “consume,” especially in relation to food. One can partake of the refreshments at a party, but one can also partake of Twinkies at home alone, without any thought of sharing.

So don’t ask people to “partake” in a planning process when you mean to ask them to participate.




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Episode 3 of The Common Errors in English Usage Podcast ("Blogging, Data, and Grammar") is now available.

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!



Tuesday, October 13, 2015

feelings for/feelings about: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, October 13, 2015

feelings for/feelings about
When someone says “I’m developing feelings for you,” the message is “I’m falling in love with you.” Feelings for are always positive feelings. In contrast, feelings about something or someone can be either positive or negative: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”


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Episode 2 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is now available.

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!

Monday, October 12, 2015

reign/rein: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, October 12, 2015

reign/rein
A king or queen reigns, but you rein in a horse. The expression “to give rein” means to give in to an impulse as a spirited horse gives in to its impulse to gallop when you slacken the reins. Similarly, the correct expression is “free rein,” not “free reign.”



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Episode 2 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is now available.

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!

Sunday, October 11, 2015

rediculous/ridiculous: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, October 11, 2015

rediculous/ridiculous
You may ridicule ideas because you find them ridiculous, but not rediculous.


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Episode 2 of The Common Errors in English Usage podcast is now available.

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!

Saturday, October 10, 2015

hangar/hanger: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, October 10, 2015

hangar/hanger 
You park your plane in a hangar but hang up your slacks on a hanger.


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The second episode of the Common Errors in English Usage Podcast is now available. Paul Brians talks about two common words with different uses in the US and the UK.


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!

Friday, October 9, 2015

brang/brung/brought: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, October 9, 2015

brang/brung/brought
In some dialects the past tense of “bring” is “brang” and “brung” is the past participle; but in standard English both are “brought.”


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The second episode of the Common Errors in English Usage Podcast is now available. Paul Brians talks about two common words with different uses in the US and the UK.


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!

Thursday, October 8, 2015

tussled/tousled: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, October 8, 2015

tussled/tousled
Even if your hair gets messed up in a tussle with a friend, it gets tousled, not tussled.


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The second episode of the Common Errors in English Usage Podcast is now available. Paul Brians talks about two common words with different uses in the US and the UK.


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!

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

refute/reject: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Wednesday, October 7, 2015

refute/reject 
To refute someone’s argument is to prove it incorrect. If you attempt no such proof but simply disagree with an argument the word you want is “reject.”

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The second episode of the Common Errors in English Usage Podcast is now available. Paul Brians talks about two common words with different uses in the US and the UK.


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!


Tuesday, October 6, 2015

academia: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Tuesday, October 6, 2015

academia
Although some academics are undoubtedly nuts, the usual English-language pronunciation of “academia” does not rhyme with “macadamia.” The third syllable is pronounced “deem.” Just say “academe” and add “ee-yuh.”

However, there’s an interesting possibility if you go with “ack-uh-DAME-ee-yuh”: although some people will sneer at your lack of sophistication, others will assume you’re using the Latin pronunciation and being learned.



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This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!

Monday, October 5, 2015

fourty/forty: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Monday, October 5, 2015

fourty/forty
“Four” loses its U when it changes to “forty.”



___________
This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!

Sunday, October 4, 2015

manufacture/manufacturer: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Sunday, October 4, 2015

manufacture/manufacturer
When your company makes stuff, it manufactures it; but the company itself is a manufacturer. Both in speech and writing the final R is often omitted from the latter word.



___________
This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!

Saturday, October 3, 2015

undermind/undermined: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Saturday, October 3, 2015

undermind/undermined
Some people believe in a mystical overmind, but not even they believe in an “undermind.” The word is “undermined.” If you dig under a castle wall to prepare to breach its defenses, you are undermining it, digging a mine under it. The metaphor applies to all sorts of weakening of opposing positions, most often in arguments.


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Read Paul Brians' latest blog post, "On Dating Sites, Good Writing Matters," here.

Did yesterday's video of Groucho Marx not work for you? Watch it here.

This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!

Friday, October 2, 2015

moreso/more so: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Friday, October 2, 2015

moreso/more so
“More so” should always be spelled as two distinct words. It is also overused and misused. Wherever possible, stick with plain “more.”


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Today is the birthday of Groucho Marx (1890). Watch him perform here:




_____________________________
This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!

Thursday, October 1, 2015

meantime/meanwhile: Common Errors in English Usage Entry for Thursday, October 1, 2015

meantime/meanwhile
Although most authorities now consider these words interchangeable, some people still prefer to use “meanwhile” when it stands alone at the beginning of a sentence: “Meanwhile the dog buried the baby’s pacifier in the garden.” They prefer “meantime” to be used only in the expression “in the meantime”: “In the meantime, the dog chewed up my last tennis ball.”

 
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This week we introduce the Common Errors in English Usage podcast with Paul Brians. In the first episode we talk about the passing of Yogi Berra and the phenomenon of Yogi-isms.

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!