# 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:** 57
**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 6, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1124 "2026-03-06T22:37:15Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > **miner** : a person who works in a mine > **minor** : underage, not of legal majority Reminded me of a bit of artwork from Dr. Seuss: > **[Minor-Cat Miner in a High-Yield Emerald Mine — The Art of Dr. Seuss...](https://www.drseussart.com/secretandarchive/minor-cat-miner)** > > Interested in purchasing this artwork?  Acquire Artwork 1,995 USD International Purchases: Prices are shown in US Dollars only and do not reflect local exchange rates. Local taxes, import duties or shipping & handling are not included. Please... ---
**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 6, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1125 "2026-03-06T22:47:28Z")
Until quite recently, I had thought that serendipity was synonymous with highly improbable good luck, like Domino in Deadpool 2. It turns out that, at least where scientific endeavors are concerned, serendipity combines a fortuitous event with an active agent who is primed to intuit the value of that event, which may not be immediately apparent, and then act on it. There’s a good Wikipedia page on it with some examples: > **[Serendipity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity)** > > Serendipity is an unplanned fortunate discovery. The term was coined by Horace Walpole in 1754. > The concept is often associated with scientific and technological breakthroughs, where accidental discoveries led to new insights or inventions. Many significant discoveries in history were serendipitous, including penicillin, Post-it notes, Popsicles, and the microwave oven, arising from unforeseen circumstances that were then recognized and capitalized upon. > Christian Busch views serendipity as "ac... And the story from which the name originates is enlightening: > **[The Three Princes of Serendip](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_Princes_of_Serendip)** > > "The Three Princes of Serendip" is the English version of the story Peregrinaggio di tre giovani figliuoli del re di Serendippo, published by Michele Tramezzino in Venice in 1557. Tramezzino claimed to have heard the story from Cristoforo Armeno, who had translated the Persian fairy tale into Italian, adapting Book One of Amir Khusrau's Hasht Bihisht of 1302. The story first came to English via a French translation, and now exists in several out-of-print translations. Serendip is t The story has ... ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2026, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1126 "2026-03-09T00:32:02Z")
censured= express severe [disapproval](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=04742f9a7359bbd1&sxsrf=ANbL-n7saqLcvfFxS61eXKte3ayPbFU7UA:1773016209623&q=disapproval&si=AL3DRZFAMySlwUHtjtG-Q8YnsqwOTNp5BsqRfVOTyoZLXBS5lENNRKQgkd5aDP9tajQl6u99SOtFBkZGDEX0mZHQiG42g6hmF8CtaNVUyjZEFXSWnGdVjOI%3D&expnd=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwih8uuKyJGTAxVRLtAFHepBNR8QyecJegQILhAQ) of (someone or something) censored= officially examine (writing, artistic work, etc.) and [suppress](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=04742f9a7359bbd1&biw=1600&bih=739&sxsrf=ANbL-n5R1TltQ34In3PL1vIR1Rg39YRUgg:1773016280926&q=suppress&si=AL3DRZGCrnAF0R35UNPJcgaBbCFagTtqluZTEpOjKaZKOBempazo3Am3EjmhKrG1lmwDks7-xiF0JS0McKkl46iaI_cPNrJH6RXV80wjZl5IZqUoXtcVtlU%3D&expnd=1&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiH4eusyJGTAxXB4ckDHW9-JN8QyecJegQILRAQ) or remove any parts that are considered [obscene](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=04742f9a7359bbd1&biw=1600&bih=739&sxsrf=ANbL-n5R1TltQ34In3PL1vIR1Rg39YRUgg:1773016280926&q=obscene&si=AL3DRZFEkDaZmmb0xlmPYpZ16WK3WrNDtSkH5iS67ZrBcdb0kgCctvQtQyvDEaL9OwNtvNZTH1k2nOsrFYC5lSRWIamBuqakuCsCbRlYgmCm7yuambIWbao%3D&expnd=1&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiH4eusyJGTAxXB4ckDHW9-JN8QyecJegQILRAR), politically [unacceptable](https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=04742f9a7359bbd1&biw=1600&bih=739&sxsrf=ANbL-n5R1TltQ34In3PL1vIR1Rg39YRUgg:1773016280926&q=unacceptable&si=AL3DRZEMXBqaLXSV-mI4aprR_vyyVImT1Dsuw28RPwYWdIhs3Fx871NnH2tbrv4UDEDMFf3n7vXWcfDWp2dBeVcB73TT9npQ2BHJIfSUbwVgwM4ClSuzXH0%3D&expnd=1&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=2ahUKEwiH4eusyJGTAxXB4ckDHW9-JN8QyecJegQILRAS), or a threat to security. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1127 "2026-03-11T00:06:55Z")
Sushi: Sticky rice and filling wrapped in seaweed. The filling is often, but not necessarily, Sashimi: Raw fish. Can someone do “grift” and “graft”? I think that there are meanings of both of those words that are close together, but I’m not sure of the distinction. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1128 "2026-03-11T06:46:24Z")
The OED’s definition of “grift” is simply > **grift** > _U.S. slang._ > = graft That is, they mean the same thing. Which is > **graft** > _colloquial (originally U.S.)._ > The obtaining of profit or advantage by dishonest or shady means; the means by which such gains are made, esp. bribery, blackmail, or the abuse of a position of power or influence; the profits so obtained. ---
**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:** [March 11, 2026, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1129 "2026-03-11T15:24:39Z")
But graft, on this side of the pond, can mean demandingly hard work, with anything but criminal connotations. Plus the medical/horticultural meanings. ---
**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 15, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1130 "2026-03-15T17:00:05Z")
**venal** : having to do with selling; by extension, amenable to receiving a bribe **venial** : worthy of forgiveness Venal behavior involves soliciting or accepting bribes, obviously a grave wrong. Venial behavior is behavior that is wrong but of a relatively minor and forgivable nature. **batter** : to beat repeatedly or severely **batten** : to secure You should batten down the hatches aboard a ship when the weather threatens to batter things around. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2026, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1131 "2026-03-17T12:53:45Z")
**pedant** : a person who is overly concerned with formal rules and trivial points of learning; a teacher or schoolmaster **pendant** : something hanging **needed** : required, necessary **needful** : necessary, needed / eager, desirous; in want, in need **needy** : in need; desiring constant affirmation ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2026, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1132 "2026-03-26T04:25:05Z")
**phytology** : study of plants **machology** : study of fights [okay, I kind of made that pair up] ---
**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 29, 2026, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1133 "2026-03-29T17:56:28Z")
**specie** : gold and silver coins collectively. E.g., “Modern governments issue fiat money, which has no intrinsic value, but in the past they issued specie.” _Specie_ is an uncountable noun, so there is no plural form. **species** : a taxon of organisms between genus and subspecies. E.g., “The modern human species is called _Homo sapiens_ and the three extant species of orangutans are members of the genus _Pongo_.” The singular and plural forms of the noun are spelled and pronounced exactly the same. _Specie_ is not the singular of _species_. **aggravate** : to make worse or more serious; sometimes used to mean “irritate” but this usage is best avoided in formal speech and writing. E.g., “A high-sodium diet may aggravate kidney problems.” **irritate** : to annoy. E.g., “Traffic jams irritate me.” ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1134 "2026-04-10T14:24:06Z")
**price** : the cost of something; to set a value on **prize** : a reward; something captured; to consider something valuable **prise** : to extract; to force open ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2026, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1135 "2026-04-10T14:30:56Z")
Fawn: A young deer. Faun: A mythical human-goat hybrid, similar to a satyr. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1136 "2026-04-10T18:27:19Z")
Not common, but I notice several people on a fly-on-the-wall medical documentary series talking about themselves itching when they obviously mean scratching. And another reversal of meanings I very occasionally hear - “borrow” instead of “lend”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1137 "2026-04-13T12:06:54Z")
Spanish doesn’t even have a word for “borrow”. You have to say something like “ask to lend” (_pedir prestar_). ---
**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:** [April 15, 2026, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1138 "2026-04-15T13:37:40Z")
**unexceptional** : not unusual, ordinary **unexceptionable** : beyond reproach I misread the latter as the former while reading a translation of _The Count of Monte Cristo_ yesterday but it didn’t make much sense in context. I had to go back to see where I had gone wrong. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1139 "2026-04-15T18:10:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Fawn: A young deer. > Faun: A mythical human-goat hybrid, similar to a satyr. Fawn: to court favor by a cringing or flattering manner Faun: a light grayish brown ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1140 "2026-04-15T18:12:41Z")
**leech:** bloodsucking worm **leach:** dissolve via percolating liquid ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1141 "2026-04-16T07:23:49Z")
**venery** : hunting, or sexual pleasure?? ---
**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:** [April 16, 2026, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1142 "2026-04-16T09:18:34Z")
The one sometimes leads to the other, not perhaps as often as one would like. ---
**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:** [April 16, 2026, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/1143 "2026-04-16T17:44:13Z")
_Fawn_ is a color (“a yellowish tan”) named for the young deer. _Faun_ is not a color as far as I can tell. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=56) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=58)