CORRECTIONS & EXPLANATIONS - August 17, 2008

Here are the corrections and explanations for last week's entries.


Monday

MEANTIME/MEANWHILE

“Meantime”, a noun meaning interim, should be used in such phrases as “in the meantime”.

“Meanwhile”, an adverb indicating time, should be used when it stands alone at the beginning of a sentence.

Nouns and adverbs are, generally, not interchangeable.


Tuesday

TAKEN BACK/TAKEN ABACK

“Taken back” means that something has been returned.

“Taken aback” means to be startled or shocked .


Wednesday

FURL/FURROW

“"Furl"” means to lower a sail and wrap it.

“"Furrow"” means a rut or crease. You can have a furrow in your brow if you are perplexed. You can make a furrow in the ground with your plow.


Thursday

Find and correct the errors in the entries cited below. (A snob purist would say there are five; three should be obvious.)

“Just beyond the Windsor area fuel prices are about a nickel a litre cheaper. Go a bit further to Kingsville or Leamington, and the savings are almost a dime a litre.”

“Further” means in addition to. “Farther” refers to distance.
The comma after Leamington is unnecessary.

“Just beyond the Windsor area fuel prices are about a nickel a litre cheaper. Go a bit farther to Kingsville or Leamington and the savings are almost a dime a litre.”


“Burton went a step farther and argued that Canadian Pacific - which also had fatalities on its tracks - should be pressured to erect more fences along its line, which also passes through Lakeshore and Tecumseh.”

“Farther” refers to distance. “Further” means in addition to.
I am not a fan of using dashes in sentencing and recommend the use of commas. I will not consider dashes wrong but a real purist would.

“Burton went a step further and argued that Canadian Pacific, which also had fatalities on its tracks, should be pressured to erect more fences along its line, which also passes through Lakeshore and Tecumseh.”

“But twining the existing facility would cost more, -- $43 per household.”

“Twining” means twisting around. “Twinning” means doubling.
Read the note above regarding dashes.

“But twinning the existing facility would cost more, $43 per household.”


Friday

SO/VERY

“Very”, an adverb, is used to intensify a meaning as in “very tart”.

“So”, an adverb, means as a result, consequently, subsequently or therefore. “So” is not interchangeable with “very” because it puts a question into the mix: “She was so happy.” She was so happy as what…?”


A WONDERFUL ETHIC

“Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.”

William Shakespeare wrote this in Titus Andronicus.


LAST WEEK’S WORDS

“Iniquitous” (adj.) means wicked, sinful, evil or immoral.

“Decadent” (adj.) means corrupt debauched, depraved or degenerate.

“Precocious” means prematurely intelligent, bright or gifted.

“Assimilation” (n.) means absorption, integration or digestion into the system.

“Minion” (n.) means a follower, an underling, a subordinate, a servile base favourite of a patron or prince.

“Minion” (adj.) means dainty, elegant, trim or pretty.