# Words one can get confused **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 18, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772 "2022-09-18T20:10:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2023, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/284 "2023-02-13T19:08:26Z")
**erection** versus **eruction** … (they talk about retrograde cricopharyngeus dysfunction rather than “eructile dysfunction” though…) ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/285 "2023-02-15T05:03:41Z")
Ding, ding, ding! I had a work associate who thought that the “v.” in the name of a court case stood for “visits.” He would describe the case as “Roe visits Wade,” for example. When I (gently) tried to correct him, he explained that it was just like in sports…the term “visits” indicated in which jurisdiction the case was being heard. I work with attorneys quite a bit and have told this story often. The surprising part is that many attorneys don’t understand what I’m saying. It’s like they just mentally substitute “versus” for “visits” when I describe it. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2023, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/286 "2023-02-19T09:37:56Z")
I’ve just found a new one; **Choc full** versus **Chock-full**. I suppose someone might be chock-full of chocolate, but that is not the exclusive sense. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/287 "2023-03-10T22:54:25Z")
**wave** / **waive** **solid** / **stolid** ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/288 "2023-03-13T17:12:43Z")
The difference between a “direct” flight and a “nonstop” flight: > **[Direct flight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_flight)** > > A direct flight in the aviation industry is any flight between two points by an airline with no change in flight numbers, which may include one or more stops at an intermediate point(s). A stop may either be to get new passengers (or allow some to disembark) or a technical stop over (i.e., for refuelling). Direct flights are often confused with non-stop flights, which are a special case of direct flights involving no intermediate stops. When there is a change in flight number, the subsequen The t... ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/289 "2023-03-13T17:52:56Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > You can’t say that anything ‘is peaked’ in the present tense, But I can say that I am peaked, or that you look peaked. ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/290 "2023-03-13T18:18:39Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > But I can say that I am peaked, or that you look peaked. In my variant of English, it is more usual to say ‘I feel peaked’ rather than ‘I am peaked’. But the second version is not entirely verboten. ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/291 "2023-03-13T20:26:34Z")
The words “lead” and “led”. Look folks, “lead” (pronounced LED) is a noun, and indicates the metal. “lead” (pronounced LEED) is a verb, as in “he will lead us to the exit”, and the past tense of this verb is “led” (pronounced LED), as in “he led us to the exit”. “lead” is NEVER the past tense of the verb lead. Never. Never. Never. So stop using it that way in your posts! (breaks down, sobbing) ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/292 "2023-03-13T21:27:17Z")
Speaking of which, for a long time I thought the name of the band was “Lead Zeppelin”, as in the metal. I mean, it makes sense as a band name, as a play on the expression “lead balloon”. Then I learned they’re actually called “Led Zeppelin”. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/293 "2023-03-13T22:30:23Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > “lead” is NEVER the past tense of the verb lead. Never. Never. Never. Amen! I think I can understand why people make that mistake (analogy with “read”/“read”?), but it _is_ wrong. > [@WildaBeast](#): > > “Led Zeppelin” I assumed they were just following the tradition of “misspelled” band names (Beatles, Byrds, Monkees, etc.). ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/294 "2023-03-13T22:36:40Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I assumed they were just following the tradition of “misspelled” band names (Beatles, Byrds, Monkees, etc.). One explanation given on Wikipedia, which I checked just after posting that earlier, is that they did in fact mean it as the metal, but changed the spelling to “led” so people wouldn’t pronounce it “leed”. I had been picturing a Zeppelin being led somewhere. This is so confusing. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/295 "2023-03-13T23:17:24Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > I had been picturing a Zeppelin being led somewhere. [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/66/82/176682c9e67b2132f760fb0f4fd551fb.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/17/66/82/176682c9e67b2132f760fb0f4fd551fb.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/296 "2023-03-17T17:05:54Z")
Ordinance and ordnance. > [@Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread/931945/6083): > > Emphasis added… … ??? thinkingbulb Ohhhhh!! [“Ordnance”.](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ordnance) I was thoroughly baffled for a bit there, wondering what was so disruptive about trying to pawn some old municipal regulation against ships. > [@Why different color codes for underwater ordinance?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-different-color-codes-for-underwater-ordinance/683519): > > Was reading a guide to color codes used for bombs, missiles and such, and several colors had a little footnote saying they were meaningless on underwater munitions (mines, torpedoes, etc.). Since these color codes seem to be shared by both land and sea-based aircraft (and presumably ships and land vehicles too), I’m wondering why the underwater stuff is different. Here’s my source: [Ammunition Color Codes - 14014\_182](http://navyaviation.tpub.com/14014/css/14014_182.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/297 "2023-03-17T17:15:44Z")
Diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus are unrelated diseases with similar names. ---
**Author:** ![alovem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@alovem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alovem)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/298 "2023-03-18T08:24:27Z")
I’ve just come across the word “costumer” and had to look twice because I thought it was “customer.” ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/299 "2023-03-18T15:11:25Z")
Immanence: The fact or condition of being entirely within something. Imminence: The state or fact of being about to happen. Eminence: Fame or recognized superiority. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/300 "2023-03-18T22:53:13Z")
draught: British spelling of draft (and pronounced like “draft”), as in “draft animal” or “draft beer” drought: a prolonged period of unusually dry weather I once listened to an audio book, written by an Englishman, whose American narrator kept talking about “drought horses.” ---
**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:** [March 18, 2023, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/301 "2023-03-18T23:22:48Z")
I keep a trivia file that includes some words I personally tend to get confused. A few of the entries I didn’t see listed above: cache: a hiding place, as in “weapons cache” (pronounced like “cash”) cachet: prestige, as in “Rolex has a certain cachet” (pronounced “cash-ay”) sashay: to walk in an ostentatious way sachet: a little bag of scented material (pronounced like “sashay”) Nikkei. A Japanese financial newspaper or the stock index it publishes Nisei. A second-generation Japanese-American transuranic: said of elements beyond uranium on the periodic table transneptunian: said of solar system bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune libation: a beverage poured on the ground as part of a ritual (or humorously, any beverage especially if alcoholic) ablution: a ritual cleansing (or humorously, any cleaning) Gaff or gaffe. (1) a blunder or (2) a long pole with a hook on the end. Goof. A blunder or a blunderer or a silly person (goofball). Gaffer. (1) the head electrician on a movie or TV set or (2) a kind of glassblower or (3) a grandfather Gofer. One who is sent to “go for” something. Gopher. Any of several rodent species that live in burrows. Noah built the ark out of gopher wood (etymologically unrelated to the rodent). Aikido is a Japanese martial art whose name means “way of harmony”. Akita is a Japanese dog breed named for a prefecture in Honshu. Courtesan. The mistress or prostitute of a powerful man, especially a king. Courtier. A person (usually a man) who attends a royal court as part of a monarch’s retinue. Blackball. To secretly veto an applicant’s membership in a group; or, by extension, to ostracize someone Blacklist. A secret list of people who won’t be hired (as in labor-management strife), or to place someone on such a list. Embargo. Law preventing legal trade between two countries for all or some goods. Blockade. The physical blocking or restriction of movement into and/or out of a country, port, or region. (En) plein air. Done out of doors, often said of artistic painting. Al fresco. Done out of doors, often said of eating food. Sacrilege. Desecration, mostly applied to actions, not beliefs or statements. Blasphemy. Profane speech against god or anything holy. Heresy. A religious opinion contrary to established doctrine. ---
**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:** [March 18, 2023, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/302 "2023-03-18T23:39:12Z")
Vestry. A room in a church for changing into vestments, often having other uses, such as an office. Also known as a sacristy. Vestibule. A room just inside an entrance, similar to a lobby or foyer. Tempera is an emulsion paint usually made from egg yolk, popular in Renaissance Europe. Tempura is a batter for deep frying in Japanese cuisine, or food so prepared Midway. The central area of a fair, circus, or carnival, or amusement park, often long and narrow, around which the most popular attractions are located. Fairway. On a golf hole, the long narrow strip of grass between the tee and the green, usually bordered by areas of longer grass called the rough. Remand. To send a prisoner back into custody, as opposed to letting him free on bail. Extradite. To send a prisoner to another jurisdiction to face charges. Helot. A kind of serf or slave unique to ancient Sparta. Hoplite. Citizen-soldiers of any of several ancient Greek city-state including Athens and Sparta. Vulgar. Means common or crude. The “vulgar tongue” is the common language, as opposed to a liturgical language such as Latin. Vulgate. A common language or a common edition of the Bible. More or less synonymous with “vulgar tongue” In terms of Bible editions, it refers to the Latin translation by St. Jerome. Vernacular. More or less synonymous with “vulgar tongue”. In terms of Bible editions, it refers to translations into modern languages spoken by ordinary worshipers, such as German (especially associated with Martin Luther’s translation) and English (KJV, etc.). Tamarind. An Old World tree whose fruit is used in Indian cuisine. Tamarin. A South American marmoset, a kind of small monkey. Tamari. A kind of soy sauce. Tamarack. A New World coniferous tree a/k/a hackmatack Tamarisk. A genus of shrubs) Geriatrics. The branch of medicine that deals with the medical needs of the aged. A practitioner is called a geriatrician. Gerontology. The study–not limited to medical issues–of aging and the aged. An expert is called a gerontologist. Neurology. The specialist branch of medicine that deals with the human nervous system and its disorders. Neuroscience. The academic study of the nervous systems of humans and other animals. The ibis is a group of several species of long-legged wading bird. The ibex is a wild goat native to all three continents of the Old World. The oryx is a genus of African (and formerly Arabian peninsula) antelopes. An onyx is a gemstone, a banded form of chalcedony. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/303 "2023-03-19T02:01:37Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > Heresy. A religious opinion contrary to established doctrine. Hearsay. Testimony from an under-oath witness who is reciting an out-of-court statement, the content of which is being offered to prove the truth of the matter asserted. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=16)