Editing Tips - More misused words
© 1999 by Mary Embree
~ Mary Embree, SPAWN's Founder, is a writer, editor, and publishing consultant.
In the June issue of SPAWNews, I listed a number of words that are frequently confused or used incorrectly. Here are some more to add to that list:
auger a tool
augur a prophet (noun); to prophesy (verb)
canvas cloth
canvass to examine or seek opinions
continual intermittent; frequent; often repeated
continuous uninterrupted in time; without cessation
councilor member of a council
counselor one who gives advice
criminologist one who studies crime as a social phenomenon
criminalist a forensic investigator
disburse to pay out
disperse to scatter
flaunt to show off
flout to show contempt for
forbear to refrain or abstain from
forebear ancestor; forefather
forego to precede
forgo to relinquish
foreword a short introductory statement; a preface
forward toward what is in front of; an offensive player in sports
gibe to jeer or taunt
jibe to be in agreement; to shift sails
hail to acclaim; to attract: hail a cab; to be from (verb); ice pellets (noun)
hale healthy, robust, vigorous; to compel someone to go: hale a person into court
hoard a stash (noun); to store away (verb)
horde a wandering group or a swarm
imply to indicate
infer to draw a conclusion
mantel a facing or frame around a fireplace; a shelf above
mantle a cloak or cape; something that conceals: mantle of darkness
rack framework (noun); spread out, torture, torment: she racked her brain (verb)
wrack damage or destruction: wrack and ruin (noun); to wreck (verb)
recision an act of canceling or voiding; to cut back
rescission the act of rescinding, invalidating or repealing
Mary can be reached at embreelitservice@aol.com
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