If you cook a garlic-heavy dinner for your friends in Indiana and insist after a few drinks that they take public transit home, you would be eliciting something illicit. (It’s illegal in Gary, Indiana to use public transportation within four hours of eating onions or garlic.)
If you told your lovey-dovey friend in Idaho to steal her heart all over again by buying her a gigantic box of chocolates, you might be eliciting something illicit. (It’s illegal in Idaho to give a gift of candy if it is more than 50 pounds.)
If (a few years back) you told your friend to parallel park an elephant next to a parking meter in Florida without paying, you’d have been eliciting something illicit. (If one put an elephant in a parking spot with a meter in Florida, elephant parking used to have to be paid.)
I really want to go on here, but I won’t. Long story short, this is a fun pairing of near homonyms.
Remember:
- Elicit (verb) means to extract, draw forth, evoke, or prompt.
- Illicit (adjective) means to be forbidden, either by law, rule, or cultural values.
Funny typos arise when one confuses “elicit” vs. “illicit.” Don’t talk about “elicit drugs,” or someone will think you’re looking for some. Don’t talk about trying to “illicit a favor,” or someone might be a bit worried about your intentions.
Take your time with this pair, making sure you get your spelling right. All right?