Writing Tip 128: Mute vs. Moot

moooooot
Say it with me. “Moot. Moooooot.” (Does seeing the cow help?)

Make sure you know what you’re saying before you start arguing something is a “mute point.” Please. Let’s tackle this one for the sake of lawyers and grammarians everywhere.

If you’re looking for the term for when something isn’t relevant anymore, you’re looking for “moot.” If you’re looking for the term for silencing the tv, you’re looking for “mute.”

I see the rough logic in calling something a “mute point,” as in perhaps it’s not valuable because it’s so darn quiet and presumably unimportant. But that’s not the expression, folks. You might just be snickered at for using this phrase. And I’m not talking about lawyers. Grammarians have their rude days. Cows too actually (they have a great handle on this one, I think: “Mooooot.”)

Sure, there’s a lot going on in our lives, but using the correct words isn’t a moot point. At least when you’re not on mute. Right?