Grammar Tips and Rules | White Wordsmith

Harrowing

Nov

2012

The Exorcist is a harrowing 1970s film that haunted the nightmares of viewers after it was released in theaters. Synonym: disturbing

Today is the day that the turkey has to die. If I were a turkey I would climb the treetop high. Turkey, turkey, turkey, turkey… Pumpkin pie, candied sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and, of course, turkey. That’s right, Thanksgiving Day has rolled around and most of us feel like we could be rolled around after ...

Envy vs. Jealousy

Nov

2012

1. Envy may be a noun or a verb meaning a desire to covet what someone else has or a feeling of discontented longing for another’s belongings, attributes, etc. Related forms: envyingly, adverb; envier, noun. 2. Jealousy is a noun that is an emotion where someone is apprehensive or anxious about someone taking their place; ...

New Leash on Life

Nov

2012

Incorrect: new leash on life Correct: new lease on life The phrase “new lease on life” refers to having the possibility of experiencing new found happiness or success after struggling through hardship; a fresh start. Originally, this idiom referred to recuperating from a sickness or illness and it dates back as far as the early ...

Tough road to hoe

Nov

2012

Incorrect: tough road to hoe Correct: tough row to hoe It is not logical to hoe a road, as hoeing is generally a term reserved for farmers cultivating the land. The saying “tough row to hoe” means there is a difficult task ahead or tough course to take. The original form appears to be “hard ...

Dual or Duel?

Nov

2012

Dual is an adjective denoting two or relating to double. Duel can be a noun or a verb that refers to a fight between two people often using deadly weapons. During Medieval times, a knight’s sword had a dual purpose: to use in a duel as both a killing tool and as a self-defense mechanism.

Cynical

Nov

2012

My mother has experienced three painful divorces in her lifetime, which have left her distrustful and cynical when it comes to men. Synonym: contemptuous

Churlish

Nov

2012

The waiter was so rude about my request that I felt he was condescending and churlish to me when I tried to order. Synonym: crude

When Life Hands You Lemons…

Nov

2012

Baby bump, man cave, ginormous– these are just a few words that have made the Lake Superior State University 2012 List of Banished Words. It is difficult to imagine that any person has not experienced an unwelcome run-in with the words we all seem to dread because they are simply used too frequently or too ...

Cancelled vs. Canceled

Nov

2012

Canceled appears to be the preferred spelling in American English, whereas English speakers outside of the United States (Canada, Australia, Britain) prefer the spelling cancelled. While these are the overarching consistencies in terms of spelling these words, there is no one clear cut rule. On example rests in the word cancellation, which is spelled with ...