Phase versus Faze #2

I just read a blog post that did not spell faze correctly, 

given the context in which the word was used.

I wrote about this issue here first. 

Come on, people!

Don't always rely on spell check. 

Think about the meaning and context of the words you are using.

P.S. If you EVER catch me using a word out of context, PLEASE correct me!

Pour versus Pore #2

I first wrote about this issue here.

I was reading a well written paper (I thought) 

on Generation Y in the workplace 

and came across a passage where it stated:

"we poured over the information..." 

instead of 

"we pored over the information..."

Little things like this bug me.

Do they bug you?

Plane Site Versus Plain Sight

I read this today:

Don't leave your purse, wallet, phone or other valuables in plane site.

It should read:

Don't leave your purse, wallet, phone or other valuables in plain sight. 

Poured versus Pored

I read this today:

I poured over the album.

It should have read:

I pored over the album. 

Watch your words, folks!

Plotted versus Plodded

I read this sentence today:

"I plotted out and ...."

What it should have read was:

"I plodded out and ...." 

Phase versus Faze

I read something a few days ago where the author said:

"XXX doesn't phase me anymore when it shows up in my workplace."

The correct word to use would be:

"XXX doesn't faze me anymore when it shows up in my workplace."

The offending word is spelled correctly, but was used incorrectly.

Do synonyms confuse spell check?

Does spell check consider context? (It needs to be perfected.)

Do you think people depend too much on spell check?

I may start posting every time I see incorrect word usage.
It happens more frequently than you may imagine.

It ticks me off every.single.time!

I try very, very, very hard to make sure I don't use words incorrectly on this blog.
If you catch me out, please call me on it.
I love to learn and there is nothing better to learn about than a word!

A New Word

A friend gave me this lovely book a few months ago.

I've referred to it several times to answer specific questions, but have not reviewed the entire book. I decided to start that effort tonight and, lo and behold, I learned a new word.

Preprandial: of, relating to, or suitable for the time just before dinner

< a preprandial drink >

According to Merriam-Webster, this word is in the bottom 30% of look-ups on their site. You think?

I challenge you to use this word in casual conversation sometime in the next 7 days. If you manage to do so, would you come back here, leave a comment and tell us the details?

Livestock Marketing Center

Can't we just call it what it is?

It's a sale barn, people!

A Phrase A Week

As I have confessed here, I'm a word nerd. I love learning the correct spelling, usage, and origins of words.

A few months ago I found this site, which educates readers on phrases. Love it!

Adze

I love learning new words.

I was recently working a word search puzzle where the words were names of tools. One of the tools was an adze. I had no idea what that was. Do you know what an adze is?

I've also found this website: Make Your Own Word Search Puzzle

Who knew you could do that?

Six Word Memoirs

I read an article in the recent AARP magazine titled "Six-Word Memoirs, Really Short Stories. 

You have probably already heard of these stories, but I had not. It was fascinating.

The original objective was to tell the story of your life in six words and tens of thousands of people responded. A book was published, Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (Harper, 2008).

There is also a website: Six Word Memoirs

Of course, I had to give it a try for myself.

My life:
Mistakes Made. Lessons Learned. Happy Now.

Happier Than I Have Ever Been.

Loves Husband. Loves Family. Loves Self.

What I am:
Good Wife, Daughter, Sister, Aunt, Friend.
Creature of Habit. Obsessive Compulsive. Organizer.
Avid Reader. Hard Worker. Low Maintenance.

I had such fun doing this little exercise in self-examination. I even got out of bed that night to scribble more thoughts.

I challenge you to give it a try and let me know your results!

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

I have been a subscriber to Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day functionality for a number of years. I receive an e-mail every day containing a new word, the pronunciation of the word, the definition of the word and the origin of the word. Additionally, M-W provides the usage of the word in an sentence.

What better way to learn our language?

I have always wanted to play the game of using all M-W words received in the previous week in the creation of a paragraph/short story. Every one I have mentioned this game to has always looked at me like I was crazy.

My challenge to you, my readers, is to subscribe to M-W's Word of the Day and use these words appropriately in your daily conversation!