# 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:** 37
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2023, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/724 "2023-12-06T05:45:07Z")
Enervate: cause someone to feel drained of energy or vitality: weaken Innervate: supply an organ or other body part with nerves ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/725 "2023-12-07T14:37:46Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > In all cases, the implication is that you are reporting widely held value judgments (reputation), but not speaking from first hand knowledge. Agree. I think @bibliophage was speaking to a common usage by news media where “reputed” is not quite synonmous with “alleged”, but is meant as a weasel word to say “we’re not _quite_ offering a conclusion, but we’re tiptoeing riiiight up to the line”. The difference between the two being that “alleged” almost always has a strong whiff of pejorative (e.g. “alleged criminal”) , while “reputed” is neutral-ish. (e.g. “reputed charity donor”). That might usage of “reputed” might not be the first / primary one in the dictionary, but is probably the one we all most commonly encounter. So first in quantity. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/726 "2023-12-07T14:50:38Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The difference between the two being that “alleged” almost always has a strong whiff of pejorative (e.g. “alleged criminal”) , while “reputed” is neutral-ish. (e.g. “reputed charity donor”). I disagree about the neutral-ish - the most common usage of “reputed” I see by far is something like “reputed crime boss” or “reputed gang leader” ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/727 "2023-12-07T15:00:59Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The difference between the two being that “alleged” almost always has a strong whiff of pejorative (e.g. “alleged criminal”) , while “reputed” is neutral-ish. (e.g. “reputed charity donor”). Yeah, I disagree with this too. Alleged is reporting an allegation - _always_ something illegal or wrong, not just a “whiff” of being pejorative, explicitly so. Reputed is reporting on reputation - which can be something positive or negative, but never value-neutral. Regarding the examples given, “reputed charity donor”, “reputed crime boss” - yes, these are both value judgments about reputation. But “reputed university” sounds very odd in my dialect, I would never say that. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/728 "2023-12-07T21:34:05Z")
**disparate** : composed of inherently different or distinct elements; utterly unlike **desperate** : beyond hope; in dire need of something ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/729 "2023-12-11T05:25:06Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > **execrate** : to denounce, curse > **excrete** : to discharge material > **excoriate** : to flay, strongly denounce I confused “execrate” with “extricate” on the English Regents. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/730 "2023-12-11T07:48:31Z")
I occasionally come across confusions between **ancestors** and **descendants** … ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/731 "2023-12-12T09:50:15Z")
**laying** (as in “was laying”), past continuous tense of the transitive verb **lay** (to put something down - but which is also the simple past tense of the intransitive verb **lie** : to recline or rest) **lying** (as in “was lying”), past continuous tense of **lie** (not only as =to recline, but also the unrelated =to tell an untruth) **lain** : (as in “have lain”), past perfect tense of the intransitive verb **lie** **laid** : past tenses of the transitive verb **lay** ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/732 "2023-12-12T14:39:38Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > **laid** : past tenses of the transitive verb **lay** Don’t forget the future pluperfect tense **scrod**. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2023, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/733 "2023-12-12T14:44:51Z")
Ah, that would be outwith my remit. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/734 "2023-12-22T02:10:30Z")
**plumb** : vertical; in a vertical direction; a lead weight that indicates a vertical direction **plum** : a delicious stone fruit don’t eat lead… ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2023, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/735 "2023-12-22T14:36:21Z")
Plumb: to install water pipes. The word coming from when such pipes were made of lead. 🤦‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2023, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/736 "2023-12-23T02:01:45Z")
That’s plumb crazy! ---
**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:** [December 23, 2023, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/737 "2023-12-23T14:06:02Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > **plumb** : vertical; in a vertical direction; a lead weight that indicates a vertical direction The vertical-indicating weight is properly called a “plumb bob” - and while they may have been made of lead in the past (and no doubt derive their name from that material), the ones I’ve worked with have all been made of steel. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2023, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/738 "2023-12-23T16:37:44Z")
> [@Do not swing Plumbbob Squarepants!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-not-swing-plumbbob-squarepants/173834): > > My Dad travelled a lot when I was a kid. He also used to work long hours. Always though, we as children were included when he was home. He’d make a big point of taking me to Great Eastern if he needed a wrench, and he’d ask my advice and make me feel important. Going out for a hamburger or a sandwich was always a big deal. If he was doing some simple household chore we were always included, even if doing so meant that the simple task took two or three times as long. I never realized or tho… ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2023, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/739 "2023-12-25T14:09:06Z")
**tocsin** : alarm bell **toxin** : poison **graceful** : full of grace; possessed of pleasing or attractive qualities; elegant in form, proportions, movement, expression, or action **gracious** : enjoying grace or favour; having pleasing qualities; exhibiting kindness or courtesy [these words seem pretty similar] **gracile** : slender, thin, lean ---
**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:** [December 25, 2023, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/740 "2023-12-25T15:12:50Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > **gracile** : slender, thin, lean **Gracie** : George Burns’ wife/comedy partner ---
**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:** [December 26, 2023, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/741 "2023-12-26T19:47:14Z")
[![](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/definitely.png) ](https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/definitely.png) ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/742 "2023-12-27T14:35:55Z")
**Affirm** -I will believe your feelings. **Confirm** -I will verify your facts. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2023, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/743 "2023-12-27T15:04:54Z")
Then there’s **nahffirm** : I will say nice things about your feelings while thinking you’re a self-absorbed and stupid child. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=38)