Archives for: September 2009
Spell check won't tell you this is wrong
I found this somewhere on the internet, can't remember where now: someone had used the word "bought" when they clearly meant "bout." "Bout" refers to a period of some sort of activity or state: a bout of fighting, a bout of hunger, etc. It's not used much anymore (like so many useful words), so it's not surprising that people would automatically type in "bought" (the past tense form of "buy").
Hit me with your rhythm stick
The word "whack" does not have an adjectival version ending in "y" and meaning "crazy" or "silly," as is seen in this blog comment. The word wanted is "wacky." Note the spelling -- "w" is used, not "wh." (Careful speakers would pronounce the two words differently -- "wh" is unvoiced while "w" is voiced -- but today it's becoming increasingly rare to find people who pronounce "wh" and "w" differently.) "Whack" is a verb meaning "to strike" or "hit." Now don't misuse these two words anymore or I'll whack you in the head until you're wacky.
09/17/09 01:29:21 pm, 