# Educate Your Fellow Dopers: Explain Words That Are Easily Confused **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367 "2014-05-27T13:34:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/81 "2014-05-28T14:48:07Z")
“Accept” and “Except” are almost opposites, in the you could define “accept” as “receiving something for consideration,” and “except” as “excluding something from consideration.” That doesn’t cover all possible uses, but it does explain what’s so funny about an ad that says “All applications will be excepted.” The personal injury lawyer whose ad promises “Piece of mind” is pretty funny too. Also, “penultimate” does not mean “better than ultimate.” “Quintessential” does not mean “more important than essential.” “Preternatural” does not mean “unnatural.” It doesn’t mean “supernatural,” either. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/82 "2014-05-28T15:22:17Z")
**Free rein** : the authority to proceed in an enterprise as one sees fit. **Free reign** : a non-existent term, often used by people who are apparently make their living by being wrong, and seem to believe that it has something to do with absolute monarchy. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/83 "2014-05-28T15:40:41Z")
**Its** : possessive form of the pronoun _it_. **It’s** : contraction of “it is.” ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/84 "2014-05-28T15:41:36Z")
**flown** is the past participle of fly. “This bird has flown.” **flowed** is the past participle of flow. “Water has flowed here.” In recent months I have heard about fluids that “have flown” two or three times. **a while** (two words, noun phrase) - a brief period of time. “I waited for a while.” **awhile** (one word, adverb) - for a period of time. “I waited awhile.” **viola** (“vee-oh-la”) - a stringed instrument **voilà** - (“vwah-la” not “wal-la”) - a word from French used to call attention to something **flounder** - to flop or thrash around or to have difficulties **founder** - to sink to the bottom or to fail completely **envelope** (“EN-ve-lope”, noun) - a paper pocket for mailing letters, etc. **envelop** (“en-VEL-op”, verb) - to surround **canvas** (noun) - a type of cloth **canvass** (verb) - to conduct a poll or survey > [@Shagnasty](#): > > **New England** = the totality of six states - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. It is no more and no less than that and never has been. I disagree with the “never has been” part. Politically, the colonial-era Dominion of New England included parts of New York and New Jersey. Geologically, the province of New England includes parts of New York. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/85 "2014-05-28T15:52:34Z")
**Bale** - a large bundle of loose items tightly tied together, as in a bale of straw, also evil (as in a baleful look) **Bail** - lots of things: the act of scooping water, the thing you scoop water with, a hooped handle on a bucket, the release of a prisoner in exchange for money, or the money used to fund the release… In other words, please don’t feed your horses the bail and then bale your deadbeat brother. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/86 "2014-05-28T16:49:04Z")
effect (v) - cause affect (v) - influence or change effect (n) - result affect (n) - mood ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/87 "2014-05-28T16:53:47Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > Use: the art or practice of employing something. > Utilize: turn to practical use or account. > > In general, use “utilize” to indicate you’re using something for other than it’s normal use. You’d use a knife to cut your steak. You’d utilize a fork to cut it. Aw. There’s someone else just like me with these words. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/88 "2014-05-28T17:07:54Z")
**Right:** (n): something permissible, direction opposite of left (v): to orient properly (adj): correct or permissible **Rite:** (n): A formally defined ritual After the Vatican II council, Catholic priests all over the world had to change their practices to ensure that they were performing the right rite on Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![cococ173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@cococ173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cococ173)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/89 "2014-05-28T17:35:59Z")
Drag and its past tense- dragged is correct. Drug is something you take. Drug is not the past tense of drag. I have heard judges and police using ‘drug’ wrong. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/90 "2014-05-28T18:02:52Z")
“Drink” is drink; drank; drunk, so the simple past is “I drank it,” but the pluperfect is “I have drunk it.” And that’s true for non-alcoholic beverages. I guess “drunk” is such a loaded word, that people are afraid to use it, but I hear “I have drank” all the time from people who normally don’t make that sort of error. ---
**Author:** ![cococ173](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3ab097/32.png) [@cococ173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cococ173)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/91 "2014-05-28T19:37:20Z")
So many people use the simple past tense with “I have” or “I had” that I stop listening to anything they have to say. And, my cat got ran over. What is that? Another mix-up that I hate is were and was. We was going to the store. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/92 "2014-05-28T21:26:28Z")
Just thought of another. Have crazy people south of the border started using “ask” as a noun (I assume they mean “request”) too or is that abomination of the English language just occuring up here?! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/93 "2014-05-28T21:43:16Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > **Sherbet** : a type of frozen dessert > **Sherbert** : a homophone for the phrase Ernie uses to signal his intention to comply with his roommare’s request. Or (British English): Sherbet: an effervescent powder Sorbet: a frozen dessert ---
**Author:** ![Inferior\_Desecrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@Inferior\_Desecrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inferior_Desecrator)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/94 "2014-05-28T22:39:00Z")
Probably; in all likelyhood Prolly; might be the name of a parrot NB: 1st post, just checking it out. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/95 "2014-05-28T22:42:38Z")
> [@saje](#): > > **Sell:** Exchanging something for money, or making something available for purchase. > **Sale:** The act of selling. > > So if you have something **to sell** , it is **for sale.** Seeing “Sale it on Craigslist”, and “must sale, sadly outgrown” ads make me twitch. **Sell:** Verb denoting the act of exchanging an object or service for money, funds, credit, etc. _When are you going to sell me your car?_ **Sale:** Noun referring to a) the transaction in which the above exchange was completed. _The sale of the boat was cause for celebration._ or b) an event during which multiple items are offered for such transactions – often ostensibly at a price which is less than the seller(s) normally charge for such items. _The Memorial Day sale didn’t yield much profit._ —G! ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/96 "2014-05-28T22:49:41Z")
**Flammable** : catches fire easily **Inflammable** : catches fire easily 😕 Naked: used in European media to mean without clothing Naked: used in the USA media to mean showing part of a breast (not the actual nipple though) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/97 "2014-05-28T23:17:02Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Really? I’ve never encountered the second one, and can’t find it in the dictionary. Nope, as far as I can tell you are right. It’s something I remember from years ago, but I can’t find any confirmation of the usage. So, oops, I guess. I must have been confused somewhere along the line. :o ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/98 "2014-05-28T23:22:16Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Nope, as far as I can tell you are right. It’s something I remember from years ago, but I can’t find any confirmation of the usage. > > So, oops, I guess. I must have been confused somewhere along the line. :o We all have the occasional brain cramp. ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/99 "2014-05-28T23:31:11Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > We all have the occasional brain cramp. Not my first, won’t be my last. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2014, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367/100 "2014-05-29T00:02:29Z")
> [@PaulParkhead](#): > > Nope, as far as I can tell you are right. It’s something I remember from years ago, but I can’t find any confirmation of the usage. > > So, oops, I guess. I must have been confused somewhere along the line. :o I think _splice_ probably gets misused a lot in faux-pirate speech, in which nonsensical context (Ahaaaarrr! Splice me timbers!"), it might mean anything - and it sounds like _slice_, so it’s easy to see how a mistaken usage could arise. (“Splice the mainbrace”, OTOH, used to refer to repairing a line, but now means issue the rum ration) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educate-your-fellow-dopers-explain-words-that-are-easily-confused/689367.md?page=6)