It’s nearly Christmas! To celebrate, I offer you some homophones that I have tenuously linked to the season: peal and peel.

Peal

• a long loud echoing sound (such as that made by bells)
• to sound with a peal or peals
• a set of bells
• a series of changes rung on bells

Peel

• to remove the skin, rind or outer covering of
• to come off in flakes
• to lose parts of an outer layer or covering, usually in strips or small pieces
• the skin or rind of a fruit (such as that found in mincemeat)

I don’t have a simple mnemonic for remembering this one; if you have any suggestions, please let me know below. I wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Sources:

• Collins English Dictionary, 2009
• Oxford Dictionaries Online
• Pixabay (image)