Some English language questions feel a bit prickly, but this shouldn’t be one of them.
As similar as they might appear at first glance, the debate between “beside” vs. “besides” is not similar to that of “toward” vs. “towards” or “backward” vs. “backwards.” Most of these are words that show physical relationships (ahem, “prepositions” for those who care about formal names), but one of these things is not like the other. Do you know which one?More
Hip, hip, hallelujah! No, that’s not right. But how do you spell the last word of this cheer of excitement?
Hooray! Hurray! Huzzah! Yep, these are all versions of the same exclamation of joy, encouragement, or approval that sometimes just has to be vocalized.
The Oxford English Dictionary prefers “hooray,” noting it’s a version of “hurrah.” Merriam-Webster and Dictionary.com agree. The Cambridge Dictionary prefers “hurray,” noting “hooray” is a variant in the U.S. But what about you? What does your gut say?
“Hurray” vs. “hooray” is an oddly tricky question.More
It is my distinct pleasure to delve deep into the distinct differences between “distinct” vs. “distinctive.” How do we distinguish one from the other? What is distinctive about each? How are “distinct,” “distinctive,” and “distinguished” not so distantly related? It’s time we figured this out.
I know I’m not the only one who’s written the word “distinctive” and then paused—convinced it should actually be “distinct,” or should it be?More
I don’t know if birth order has anything to do with grammar persnicketiness. Do eldest children have a tendency of dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s? Are youngest children inclined toward utter grammar rebellion?
Was that first known person to drop an “OMG” in 1917—yep, I said that date correctly, 1917—was he a youngest child? I bet he was.
Was the member of One Direction who once jumped off the stage to correct the grammar on a fan’s sign an oldest child? I have no idea, but that’s my guess.
Here’s what I do know:
Lindley Murray, often called the “Father of Grammar” was an eldest child.
Noah Webster, American English renegade, was the 4th child out of 5.
Ben Franklin, English language revolutionary, was the 15th child out of 17. (Yikes, power to that mama…)
This is the Words You Should Know podcast, Season 2: Episode 9, and it’s time to go deeper.
Your hand might quiver. Your voice might quaver. Your arrows might sit at the ready, but what’s their location strapped to your back called again?
That’s right. The word “quiver” can be tricky because it means different things—many of which are ready to be a part of an action-packed story—but it doesn’t mean everything you might think it does.More
“Death, taxes and childbirth! There’s never any convenient time for any of them.” So says Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, and you know, it’s a true statement.
It’s tax season, so let’s dive in. Into the numbers? Nope, not here. Let’s dive into the language of money.
When should “money” be written in the plural form “monies”? When should we talk about “the amount of” something versus “the number of” something? Yep, there’s a difference. And lastly, what is the language equation that baffles math minds everywhere where the plural plus the plural of this money term equals the singular form? (You’ve probably heard me talk about this last one before, but it’s one of my favorite math equations. I can’t help but bring it to my podcast.)
This is season 2, episode 6 of the Words You Should Know podcast
Dinner parties with a crowd you don’t know well can be complicated. Sometimes, you need to dress and act appropriately, and sometimes, you need to give your neighbor the appropriate condiment.
So next time you’re worried about whether the expression is “to pass muster” or “to pass mustard,” remember:More
If you want to go zero to sixty in a matter of seconds, speed-racer, you’re going to have an eye on the tools on your dashboard. Your speedometer, your odometer, your tachometer—these are all types of what?
You’ve probably got a handle on “gag,” “gaggle,” and “gouge,” but when it comes to “gage” and “gauge,” which both rhyme with “age” and “sage,” there’s often a moment of pause.
Perhaps I just made things worse by giving “age” and “sage” as the comparable words.
Remember:
“Gauge” is probably the word you’re looking for on most occasions. It can be either a tool that displays a measure of some kind—like an air gauge, speed gauge, or temperature gauge—or as a verb, it can be to judge, measure, or assess.
“Gage” might be your first guess at spelling the previous word (a typo found commonly online), but it’s not the same word. A “gage” is a pledge or something given like collateral. Shakespeare also used “gage” to refer to a glove thrown down in a challenge. No matter which meaning, it’s not a word frequently used.
“Cousin, throw up your gage,” says Shakespeare.
You, on the other hand, will almost always use “gauge,” I’m guessing.
Now, if you’re feeling a bit shamefaced because you’ve gotten this wrong in the past, there’s no need to race off in your car. “Gauge” first came to English in the 15th century, but the thing about the 15th century was that standardized spelling wasn’t really stressed. So, therefore, “gauge” and “gage” were used interchangeably. Yep, there’s a precedent for this confusion.
However, “gauge,” as we know it and use it, became preferred in the late 19th century and has been ever since. This is the version you should stick with.
I don’t need to gauge your interest in the correct spelling, but I would recommend it.
This isn’t a gun debate. It’s a verb debate. And neither of them has anything to do with firearms.
There is a difference between “riffling” and “rifling” through the pages of your favorite writing reference book. Both are possible. But I’m guessing there’s only one that you mean.
And seriously, if you’re confused, please get those guns out of your head. That’s not where I’m going here.More
You can see it, can’t you? There’s the racehorse in the starting gate. He’s hoofing the ground. He’s whinnying. He’s chomping on his bit impatiently waiting for the starting gun to fire…
But the problem is, “chomping at the bit” isn’t the correct expression. The second problem is that “champing” and “chomping” are so incredibly close, this distinction is confusing in itself.More