Excerpts and articles about words — from the most commonly confused to the most commonly misused, problematic pronunciation, etymological mysteries, interesting histories, and more.
Affect vs. Effect: from the Commonly Confused Words department
All right vs. Alright: Which is correct?
How Do You Pronounce …. Bruschetta?
Capricious: Word Histories — The battle between Team Hedgehog and Team Goat
Champ at the bit, or Move over, popular yet incorrect chomp!: from the Most Commonly Misused Words & Phrases department
Desultory: Word Histories — Its strange gymnastic roots, or what leaping ancient Roman circus performers have to do with modern unenthusiastic adjectives
The Many Colorful Euphemisms for Dying: Pushing Up Daisies, Kicked the Bucket … and much more
Nonplussed (in which we are perplexed by the misuse of a literally perplexing word): from the Most Commonly Misused Words & Phrases department
To Me or Not To Me: I vs. Me, Her & Him vs. She & He, Them vs. They Grammar Basics: Making sense of pronouns
Who vs. Whom: Grammar Basics: When and why to use “whom” instead of “who”