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Commonly Misused Words and Phrases
Commonly Misused Words and Phrases
Here are a few of the lessons one might learn at HERO Camp:
Lose and Loose
To lose (verb) something is to be unable to find it, whereas something that is loose (adj) is not tightly
secured.
Compliment and Complement
A compliment is a flattering statement, while a complement is a counterpart that, in conjunction with
another, makes a whole. Both words can be used as nouns and as verbs, as in to compliment
someone or to complement something.
Exasperate and Exacerbate
Both of these verbs have rather negative meanings: One may exasperate a person by provocation
or irritation and exacerbate the situation by increasing its severity.
Disinterested and Uninterested
Someone who is disinterested is unbiased and impartial, capable of making an objective decision.
On the other hand, someone who is uninterested is merely indifferent, and probably bored. For
example, a major league umpire is required to be a disinterested judge calling the events of the
game, but if he were uninterested in baseball, he would likely find a different job.
which stumper the solution is all about the present distinction: He said that that that that that writer used
really should have been a who.
Free Gift
I would hope that no one would make me pay for the gift they intend to give me.
Misuse of Beg the Question
No matter which newspaper prints it, or which anchor man spurts it, To beg the question does NOT
mean to invite an obvious question, as in: That begs the question, was the President aware of the
committees actions? FAIL. To beg the question comes from the Latin petitio principii, which is a kind of
logical fallacy where one bases a conclusion on a questionable premise. Here is an example of Begging
the Question:
A man who has studied law to its highest degree is a brilliant lawyer, for a brilliant lawyer has studied
law to its highest degree. Oscar Wilde
These are commonly confused words (some are obvious, others are not):
accept: to take
except: exclude
adapt: to change
adverse: unfavorable
averse: disinclined
advice: recommendation
advise: to recommend
affect: to influence
apprise: to inform
borne: to be carried
can: able
may: allowed
cannon: gun
canon: law
canvas: cloth
compliment: to praise
compose: to make up
comprise: to include
council: assembly
credible: believable
creditable: praiseworthy
denote: to mean
discreet: prudent
discrete: separate
disinterested: impartial
illicit: illegal
emigrate: leave
further: more
flair: style
flare: to burn
forward: onward
fortunate: lucky
grisly: horrible
eminent: important
lie: to recline
lend: (verb)
loathe: to hate
loath: reluctant
luxuriant: abundant
luxurious: sumptuous
moral: ethical
morale: spirit
oral: spoken
peace: calmness
piece: part
persecute: to harrass
plain: simple
precede: to go before
proceed: to continue
prescribe: to recommend
proscribe: to prohibit
principle: rule
prophecy: prediction
prophesy: to predict
roll: to turn
session: meeting
shear: to clip
stationary: fixed
stationery: paper
to: toward
trooper: soldier
trouper: actor