A "Listicle" of Frequently-confused Words

[AuntShecky]

Two more examples indicating that cable news networks are hiring MBAs instead of English majors:

This caption to a graphic:
"A Bridge Under Troubled Waters" "Under?" What do they mean--The Lincoln Tunnel?

"The Republican and Democratic parties are one in the same." The accepted idiom is "one and the same."

As my English 12 teacher said several Presidential administrations ago: "If you insist on using clichés, at least get them right!"

And while I've got the podium so to speak, why oh why do so many people put apostrophes in simple plurals?
All that is needed is an "s" or "ies.":


The Simpsons
armories
symphonies

Use an apostrophe to indicate possession in nouns. "Joe's cap" "Lila's son." Apostrophes are found in plural possessive nouns: "The Simpsons' residence" "The armories' roofs"

Possessive pronouns --its, his, her, hers, your, yours, theirs--do not use apostrophes.
In pronouns, only contractions (pronoun plus a verb ) take apostrophes:
"Baby, it's cold outside." "You're joking, right?"

[Lyn05]

Hi everyone,

This seemed like the right place to ask this so... What is the difference in meaning between the words 'independence' and 'autonomy'? I came across the following line in a reading:

Paradis (2001) made the case for independence but not autonomy on the basis of a study of French-English 2 year old's knowledge of syllable patterns...

So there seems to be a difference between the two words.

But looking at definitions from Webster's dictionary (below), I still can't figure it out. Does anyone have a clue?

Independence: the state or quality of being independent; freedom from the influence , control or determination of another or others

Autonomy: the fact or condition of being autonomous; self-government; independence

Autonomous: a) having self-government; b)functioning independently without control by others

[AuntShecky]

principle/principal

A capsule movie review in the newspaper this past Sunday had it wrong:

"A detective and the principle suspect in a group of child murders are both held prisoner by the father of one of the victims."

Principle-- a noun, meaning the ultimate source or cause of something; a fundamental truth; a rule of conduct; essential element; scientific rule.

Principal-- an adjective (and the correct word for the newspaper sentence)--first in rank, authority, importance, or degree. As a noun, it means the chief or head person, such as the chief administrator of a school--"There's a 'pal' in 'principal,' " as well as the lead actor or musician in a production. It can also mean the amount of a financial investment or a loan, minus the interest.

Often the confusion between the two words is simply a matter of spelling.

[AuntShecky]

Hi everyone,

This seemed like the right place to ask this so... What is the difference in meaning between the words 'independence' and 'autonomy'? I came across the following line in a reading:

Paradis (2001) made the case for independence but not autonomy on the basis of a study of French-English 2 year old's knowledge of syllable patterns...

So there seems to be a difference between the two words.

But looking at definitions from Webster's dictionary (below), I still can't figure it out. Does anyone have a clue?

Forgive me for taking so long to get back to you on this,Lyn05, but honestly, it took me this long to figure out a possible coherent answer. Also, in "full disclosure" I was hoping some outstanding LitNutter would field this one. You're right about the dictionary; I consulted a couple and they seem to give similar definitions. "Autonomy" and "independence" are pretty much synonymous. So we can look at context and connotation.

Both "autonomy" and "independence" can apply to both people and societies or nations. "Independence" could, perhaps, apply to a domesticated animal, or a rescued creature having been returned to the wild, i.e., no longer dependent upon humans for its survival.

"Autonomy" imples self-governing-- that is, making one's own rules. A department within a corporation, say, could be autonomous in that the board of directors doesn't micromanage it.

In a sense of a country-- perhaps in its history it once was a colony of a larger country. Think of the United States, or the newly-formed nations in the continent of Africa, or even the former "Soviet bloc" of nations, now more or less "independent," If it had never been under the rule of a larger country, it could be said to have always been "autonomous." An emancipated minor has formally declared herself to be no longer dependent on her parents and guardians, thus she is "independent."

I don't know if that makes any sense at all. But I have a feeling there is a subtle difference between the two words

[AuntShecky]

The following two pairs appeared on cable news this week. One commentator confused the first pair. Re: the second pair, this morning, a different commentator used "sub rosa" correctly -- and given the political context, brilliantly.

Imply/Infer

Imply-- to indicate indirectly, hint, suggest, allude to.
Infer-- to deduce from the context, to gather, or conclude.
A speaker or writer implies; the reader or audience infers. Or, as Theodore Bernstein puts it, "the implier is the pitcher; the inferrer is the catcher."


sub rosa/ tabula rasa

"Sub rosa" means secretly, privately or confidentially. In ancient times, a rose was symbolic of a secret, hence "under the rose."

"Tabula rasa" literally means "a blank slate."

Confusion between these two may be, once again, a spelling error. We only have to remember the "o" as in "rose" in the former, and the "a" (as in "erase") for the latter.

[AuntShecky]

Anxious/eager

The two adjectives are not at all synonymous; if anything, they are opposites. When an impeding situation fills you with dread or trepidation, then you are “anxious.” If you are anticipating an approaching event with enthusiasm or hope, then you are “eager.”

Bad/Badly

Right: “I feel bad about my neck.” (Norah Ephron)
Wrong: “Hearing about the Ukraine, Venezuela, and Syria makes me feel badly.”

Forms of the verb “to be” and other copulative or “linking” verbs do not take objects. They take subject complements -- nouns or adjectives in the nominative case. For instance, “She’s young,” “You’re getting warm,” or “The conversation turned ugly.” This is why the line in Eliot’s famous poem says “I grow old,” not “oldly.”

The occasion to use an adverb with the verb “feel” is extremely rare, as when “feel” is used in the palpable sense rather than as a linking verb. For instance, “ I burned the tips of my fingers on the toaster and damaged my nerve endings,. Ever since then, I’ve lost my sense of touch, and now I feel badly.”

When a telephone caller asks for you by name, you would answer “This is she,” not “This is her,” although if you aren’t sure, you can get around it by merely saying “Speaking!”

Veteran LitNutters have already been subjected to the following, but I’ll post it one more time:

A woman shuffles off this mortal coil and finds herself at the entrance to Heaven. So she knocks at the Pearly Gates.
St. Peter asks, “Who is it?”
She replies, “It is I , Lord.”
St. Peter slaps his forehead and cries, “Damn! Another English teacher!”

Begging the question
Newscasters frequently use this phrase erroneously, as in: “The East Coast is bracing for yet another massive snowstorm, which begs the question: when will this winter end?”

“Begging the question” is a specialized term in logic; an example of begging the question occurs when the original question is used as a answer, as in a tautology. For instance, “The Bible is the Word of God because it says so in Scripture.”

To eliminate confusion, it’s probably prudent to use a different phrase, such as “which raises the question,” or “brings up the obvious question.” The weather girl’s report didn’t actually “beg the question.” She posed a question begging to be asked.

Between/Among

The preposition between can be used only when you are speaking or writing about two people or objects: “Between you and me,” “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.” (Don’t forget that “between” is a preposition and can only take objects, as in “This dispute is between her and her husband,” not “she and her husband.”)

When describing an relationship with more than two elements, use among. On early Sunday evening, a network report got it wrong when he said,” Tonight the Oscar® for Best Picture has come down to a race between Gravity, American Hustle, and Twelve Years a Slave.” (He should have said “among,” not “between.”)


Fewer/Less
Use fewer when you're referring to objects that can be counted.
The sign above this supermarket aisle says "10 items or fewer."
The beer ad we heard for decades should have said: "Fewer calories; great taste."

Use less when you are referring to a mass, a condition, or a substance that can be measured, but not counted.
This box of Munchies contains less salt than that box of Crunchies.
I prefer stories that are less straight-forward and more subtle.

When referring to percentages, the "countable" vs. "measurable" guidelines apply:
Fewer than 40 percent of registered voters ever make it to the polls. (Voters are countable)
Less than 1% of the world's fresh water is available for human consumption. (Water can be measured, but not counted.)

[AuntShecky]

According to language experts,Presently does not mean immediately, at the moment, at this point in time, or now. It means "soon."