# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/161 "2022-10-04T20:56:27Z")
**remuneration** : money paid for work or a service **renumeration** : the act of counting / numbering something again ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2022, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/162 "2022-10-04T21:15:42Z")
**witch** : a tree having pliant branches [e.g., witch-hazel, witch-elm] **witch** : a practitioner of magic ---
**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:** [October 5, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/163 "2022-10-05T01:52:09Z")
Have vs. of, when used to suggest a a hypothetical past action, as in “I should have used the correct word.” People often use "of’ in the place of “have” in that sort of expression, as in “I should of used the correct word.” One tool for remembering the correct word is to first express what actually happened in past perfect tense: “I **had** used the wrong word, when I should **have** used the correct word.” The “had” in the past perfect tense can serve as a reminder to use “have” in the hypothetical past expression (“should have”) instead of using “of” (“should of”). ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/164 "2022-10-05T09:49:45Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > instead of using “of” (“should of”) The phrase ‘should of’ is never correct grammar. The phrase ‘should have’ is always correct. > **[should OF or should HAVE? Which is correct? - One Minute English](https://oneminuteenglish.org/en/should-of-should-have/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CShould%20of%E2%80%9D%20is%20grammatically%20incorrect,phrase%20is%20%E2%80%9Cshould%20have%E2%80%9D)** > > “Should of” is grammatically incorrect in English. The correct phrase is “should have”. Why do people say “should of” if it is incorrect? When people say “should have” in English, it is often contracted to “should’ve”. This “‘ve” sound is very... ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/165 "2022-10-05T12:35:48Z")
Somewhere in the Halls of Justice is a bronze sculpture that prevents the prosecution of certain crimes if too much time has passed since their occurrence. It’s called the Statue of Limitations. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/166 "2022-10-05T13:14:24Z")
**Cologne** vs. **colon**. Searching social media for “colon” and you will find lots of people stating they “love the smell of his colon” or similar. It’s likely only a small fraction intended it ass spelled. At least this was the case a few years ago. It’s possible it becoming a meme for a while educated some fraction of the offenders. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2022, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/167 "2022-10-05T15:06:36Z")
> [@naita](#): > > It’s likely only a small fraction intended it ass spelled. 😆 Bravo! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/168 "2022-10-05T19:04:12Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > The phrase ‘should of’ is never correct grammar. The phrase ‘should have’ is always correct. I think of that as more a spelling error than a grammar one, though in written form, it’s clearly grammatically troublesome. When said aloud, there is no error. The word they’re looking for is obviously “should’ve.” It just gets misparsed since “of” and “‘ve” are homophonous and “of” is just so much more common a spelling for that syllable. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/169 "2022-10-06T12:23:36Z")
Just saw this in a classified ad: “This guitar has all the character commiserate with its age.” ---
**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:** [October 17, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/170 "2022-10-17T19:17:27Z")
“Pore” vs. “Pour”, in the context of examining something in great detail. The correct word is “pore”, which is etymologically derived from the verb “peer”. “He poured over the documents.” Incorrect. “He pored over the documents.” Correct. =================================== “Lo and behold.” Correct. “Low and behold.” Incorrect. In the first expression, “lo” is etymologically derived from “look”, so the first expression literally means “look and see”. “Low” doesn’t make sense in the second expression. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2022, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/171 "2022-10-18T00:11:59Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > “Low” doesn’t make sense in the second expression. Maybe for Homer Simpson? ---
**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:** [November 7, 2022, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/172 "2022-11-07T12:43:51Z")
Averse and adverse or often confused with each other. They are not interchangeable. A person can be averse, meaning they have an aversion - that is, something they try to avoid. If you have an aversion to risk, you are risk-averse. Interestingly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard that phrase used for other situations, e.g. a person who has an aversion to dogs is never described as dog-averse. Conditions or effects can be adverse. Adverse weather, adverse economic conditions, and so on. Adverse weather will have an adverse effect on your travel time. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/173 "2022-11-07T12:51:58Z")
I remembering hearing a story from my parents when I was a kid about my Great Grandmother who never really learned English simply because she didn’t like it. Why? The story goes that she brought up read/red as an example of why she disdained English. The present and past tense of “read” are spelled exactly the same, and the two words, “read/red”, sound exactly the same but mean different things. Her statement, in Italian of course: “When they make up their minds, I’ll learn English.” 🤣 ---
**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:** [November 7, 2022, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/174 "2022-11-07T13:15:28Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > Lo and behold.” Correct. > “Low and behold.” Incorrect. > In the first expression, “lo” is etymologically derived from “look”, so the first expression literally means “look and see”. “Low” doesn’t make sense in the second expression. Perhaps if you are talking to a cow. “Low and behold!” “Moo, that _is_ interesting.” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/175 "2022-11-07T13:58:32Z")
Objective and subjective- two words I’ve managed to get through life without using, which is a good thing, because I’m still not sure what they mean. ---
**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:** [November 7, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/176 "2022-11-07T14:24:06Z")
Subjective means the description of a situation depends on who’s doing the observing. To a toddler, a kitchen countertop subjectively seems really high. To Andre the Giant, a kitchen countertop subjectively seems really low. Objective means the description is the same regardless of who’s doing the observing. The toddler and Andre the Giant will both agree that from an objective standpoint, the kitchen countertop is 36 inches high. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/177 "2022-11-07T17:56:59Z")
Did you ever have to distinguish injective and surjective in a math course? ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/178 "2022-11-07T18:17:43Z")
You can’t just make up words here. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/179 "2022-11-07T19:01:27Z")
50 years later they still map nightmares onto my brain. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2022, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772/180 "2022-11-07T20:16:40Z")
Whenever I read (always online) someone stating they are “leary”, my brain automatically says, “Hi, Timothy!”. mmm [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-one-can-get-confused/971772.md?page=10)