# Let's list often confused terms **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 15, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762 "2011-08-15T06:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Fly\_Sparge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a698b9/32.png) [@Fly\_Sparge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fly_Sparge)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/81 "2011-08-18T22:07:45Z")
One of my favorites is peak and pique. You have piqued my interest, but my interest has not yet peaked. ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/82 "2011-08-19T00:51:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Bit esoteric, but when software company Pixologic created their 3D rendering software, ZBrush, they needed a term for a new kind of pixel. A regular pixel has an X and Y coordinate, plus a color. Pixologic needed to store all that, plus a Z coordinate for depth. And so they invented: > > The Pixol. > > Say those two terms out loud a few times. Pixel. Pixol. Pixel. Pixol. > > You fuckers couldn’t have come up with something just _slightly_ more original than that? That reminded me of esoteric vs. erotic. moot vs. mute ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/83 "2011-08-20T04:51:32Z")
spayed vs spaded We had our cat spayed, but when the operation went bad, we spaded a hole in the garden in which to bury her. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/84 "2011-08-20T05:06:34Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Bit esoteric, but when software company Pixologic created their 3D rendering software, ZBrush, they needed a term for a new kind of pixel. A regular pixel has an X and Y coordinate, plus a color. Pixologic needed to store all that, plus a Z coordinate for depth. And so they invented: > > The Pixol. > > Say those two terms out loud a few times. Pixel. Pixol. Pixel. Pixol. > > You fuckers couldn’t have come up with something just _slightly_ more original than that? FYI, the official term is now [voxel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voxel), which stands for “Volumetric picture element.” ---
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/85 "2011-08-20T13:36:04Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Just the other night I saw someone in a news story, trying to sound reporter-ish, say “…it beggars the question…” > > . How very beggardly of them. _extends pinky whilst sipping from tea cup, oh so disdainfully_ ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762/86 "2011-08-20T14:04:10Z")
spendthrift? i’m not sure how often some of these terms are confused in real life. rogue and rouge? esoteric and erotic? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-list-often-confused-terms/592762.md?page=4)