Friday, October 5, 2007

MORE HOMOPHONES

AISLE/I'LL/ISLE

Surprisingly these words are often mixed up or misused.

Define the words "aisle", "I'll" and "isle" and use them in sentences.


TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "salacious".

Define "salacious" and use it in a sentence.


CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS

All corrections and explanations for this week's entries will be posted some time Sunday morning.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

COMMON MISTAKES

MISCHIEVIOUS/MISCHIEVOUS

Which is incorrect, "mischievious" or "mischievous"?


REGARDLESS/IRREGARDLESS

Which is incorrect, "regardless" or "irregardless"?


TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "profligacy".

Define "profligacy" and use it in a sentence.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

MORE HOMOPHONE FUN

STRAIGHT/STRAIT

What is the difference between "straight" and "strait" ?


TODAY'S WORDS

SPECIAL
(I bet you are surprised with the spelling of the first word below.)

The words for today are "misogyny" and "misogamy".

Define "misogyny" and "misogamy".

Use them in sentences.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

FOLLOW UP

INSIGHT/INCITE

This is a natural follow up to yesterday's entry.
Define and explain the differences in "insight" and "incite".

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "profligacy".

Define "profligacy" and use it in a sentence.
What other forms of the word come to mind?

Monday, October 1, 2007

EASY START TO THE WEEK

CITE/SITE/SIGHT

They are all pronounced the same. What do these words mean?
Use the words some time today without sounding pretentious.

TODAY'S WORD

The word for today is "scintilla".

Define "scintilla" and use it in your speech today.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - September 30, 2007

Monday

HANGED/HUNG

“Hanged”, exclusively, means executed by hanging with a noose or some other device.

“Hung”, the past participle of hang, is used for all other forms of suspension including the ribald interpretation. Therefore, the stockings can remain for Christmas.


Tuesday

AMORAL/IMMORAL

“Amoral” means neither with nor without moral or ethical quality. In psychology, it has come to mean without the ability to distinguish right from wrong.

“Immoral” describes one who makes no attempt to curb self-indulgence or one who chooses to do evil over doing good.

Wednesday

DISINTERESTED/UNINTERESTED

“Disinterested” means objective or neutral.

“Uninterested” means bored or unconcerned.

Thursday

EMIGRATE/IMMIGRATE

“Emigrate” means to leave one’s country or region. It comes from the Latin form “E” or “ex” meaning “out of”.

“Immigrate” means to come into a new habitat, place or country. It comes from the Latin formof “im” meaning “in”.

Friday

ENVY/JEALOUSY

“Envy” means being spiteful over the possessions of another and wanting to have those possessions or attainments for oneself.

“Jealousy” means wanting to hold onto what one has or a suspicion of a rival.

WORDS OF THE DAY

“Pandemic" (adj.) means prevalent over an entire country or continent, such as a disease.

“Esoteric" (adj.) means profound or understood by, or limited to, a select few.

“Desultory" (adj.) means disconnected, unmethodical or fitful.

“Vapid" (adj.) means without animation or spirit, insipid or flat, tedious or uninteresting.

“Sepulchral" (adj.) means pertaining to or serving as a tomb, funereal or dismal.
The root of “sepulchral” is the Latin “sepulcrum” (Tomb).

EXPRESSIONS I HATE (a continuum)

"Oh, my god!"

This expression is used so often, by so many, for so little reason, it has become completely vapid. Its use is so far removed from its meaning it has become completely meaningless.
We need something new.