If you want to go dive in a corral reef, I wonder if you’ve drunk a bit too much tarantula juice after a long day lassoing cows and singing cowboy songs. Don’t dive in the corral. It’ll probably hurt, and there might just be a bull in there that will add to the misadventure.
“Corrals” go with cowboys. Cowboys are often in groups (plural), so the “R”s are too.
Tough times can show your true mettle, but perhaps if you were a former Olympian, tough times might make you pull out your medal, which is made of metal. I won’t ask you too much about that though, because I don’t want to meddle.
Yes, I could see how these four words could be confusing at first glance. Some mistakes between them might be typos, but often, I believe, it’s an ignorance of the word “mettle.”
Showing your strength and fortitude isn’t showing your metal, even though I could see why some logic might take you there.
Carly Simon sang, “You’re so ___.” Fill in the blank.
It’s a test of your music savvy and of your spelling.
I have a feeling there are some authorities in the world who might be less than happy with this mistake. When I caught it a few weeks ago, I gave the writer the benefit of the doubt that they took a stab at spelling “Colonel” the correct way and autocorrect was to blame for turning military personnel into a dried seed ready for popping popcorn.
Remember, folks:
Some kernels are better with salt and a little bit of butter. Colonels, on the other hand, are not.
Don’t let spellcheck fool you into making hilarious mistakes, folks!
Here’s another often confused idiom. Is it coming “down the pike” or “down the pipe”?
Both have their logical arguments. Something could travel through a pipe toward you (e.g., water through pipes, emerging via a spigot), or something could travel along a pike—that is once you realize what a pike is. It’s this latter word that is one major source of confusion for this phrase.
Is the summertime “balmy” or “barmy”? Maybe it depends on your disposition. Maybe it depends on your choice of drink. But only one of these words means warm and soothing.
The roots of both of these words goes back to the 1500s, when “balm” first was utilized to denote a soothing ointment and “barm” first described froth from fermented yeast. Their noun forms evolved into adjectives over time.
What? Are you doing a double-take? Did you realize there’s this other word “faze” that you should be aware of? Yep, pay attention to your spelling, folks. The “phase” vs. “faze” distinction is one you should definitely know.
A lot of people assume that the “phase” spelling covers everything. It might not have fazed you, but it’s fazed a lot of editors over time.
Some speak of the Muse, when discussing their writing. Today, I’m going to ask which one.
No, we’re not talking about Calliope, but we are discussing two words that have the same derivation in the French word muser, which back in the 15th century meant to stare blankly. Here’s the tip you should know just in case Calliope hasn’t whispered it in your ear:
If you’re on a long car ride through the mountains, you could call it tortuous, or if you’re prone to getting car-sick, maybe it’s even torturous; however, it’s essential that you know the difference. Look closely. Did you notice that I used two different words? Yes, these are in fact two different words.