# Bemusement or Alarm? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501 "2009-07-19T02:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PatronAnejo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@PatronAnejo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatronAnejo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501/1 "2009-07-19T02:15:28Z")
I wish I had come here first…I was wondering whether the effect of a crimp (or kink) in a hose is to _stanch_ or to _staunch_ its flow. Instead I typed _stem_ and _synonym_ into a Google search box and received [this results page](http://www.google.com/search?client=ms-rim&hl=en&q=synonym%20stem&ie=UTF-8&channel=browser). I’ve used [synonym.com](http://synonym.com) before but never felt as though its results were authoritative, so I selected Google’s seventh suggestion at [synonyms. **net**](http://www.synonyms.net/synonym/stem). This page raises more questions than it answers: –Does [synonym.net](http://synonym.net) deliver user-generated content? –If not, why would anyone bother hacking this specific page? –Or, is that an actual Arabic translation for _stem_? –Finally, is it _stanch_ or is it _staunch_? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501/2 "2009-07-19T02:42:56Z")
> [@PatronAnejo](#): > > –Finally, is it _stanch_ or is it _staunch_? Stanch is technically a variant spelling of staunch, but _usually_ stanch is used as the verb (“the tourniquet will stanch the flow of blood”) and staunch the adjective (“he is a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party”). ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501/3 "2009-07-19T02:46:58Z")
[http://machaut.uchicago.edu/?action=search&resource=Webster's&word=stanch&quicksearch=on&sourceid=Mozilla-search](http://machaut.uchicago.edu/?action=search&resource=Webster%27s&word=stanch&quicksearch=on&sourceid=Mozilla-search) > [@](#): > > Stanch (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stanched (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Stanching.] [OF. estanchier, F. étancher to stpo a liquid from flowing; akin to Pr., Sp., & Pg. estancar, It. stancare to weary, LL. stancare, stagnare, to stanch, fr. L. stagnare to be or make stagnant. See Stagnate.] > > 1. To stop the flowing of, as blood; to check; also, to stop the flowing of blood from; as, to stanch a wound. [Written also **staunch**.] > > 2. To extinguish; to quench, as fire or thirst. [Obs.] Staunch doesn’t merit its own entry in 1828 or 1913. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501/4 "2009-07-19T13:05:42Z")
> [@PatronAnejo](#): > > –Or, is that an actual Arabic translation for _stem_? Well, a little googling determined that Al-Qaeda is Arabic for “the base”, and I see [synonyms.net](http://synonyms.net) considers stem and base to be synonyms, so that is presumably what Al-Qaeda is in there in a few variant spellings. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bemusement-or-alarm/503501/5 "2009-07-19T15:57:23Z")
Actually, I’d just assume that “Al Qaeda” shows up so often because the word “radical” is listed as a primary synonym. [Synonym.net](http://Synonym.net) is a subsidiary of [stands4.com](http://stands4.com), and claims to be “… the web’s most comprehensive synonyms resource.” Their model includes user submissions and, supposedly, expert review and editing; that first entry, though, reminds me of the sort of nonsense one gets from an unattended computer search.