‘Complement’ or ‘compliment’?

August 28, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 1 Comment

This is another post written because of suggestions I have received from readers of my blog (thank you).

https://pixabay.com/en/kitchen-work-restaurant-cook-chef-731351/

My compliments to the chef.

Compliment:

An expression of admiration or praise.
Compliments are formal greetings.

Complement:

A person or thing that completes something.
An accompaniment to something that makes it perfect or brings out its good qualities.
A full number or complete amount of something.
The full amount of officers and crew needed to man a ship.
A word or words added to the verb to complete the meaning of the predicate in a sentence (grammar).
The angle added to a specified angle to produce a right angle (geometry).
The members of a set that are not found in a given subset (maths).
A group of proteins found in blood plasma and tissue fluid that combine with an antigen-antibody complex to cause the breakdown of foreign cells (physiology).

The meaning is the same when using the words as verbs. You compliment me on my dress. My shoes complement my dress.

Complimentary and complementary

The difference here is largely the same as above. However, complimentary has an additional meaning to expressing admiration or praise: it can also mean given free of charge.

Complementary means completing or forming a complement, or refers to the relationship between things that go well together.

Spelling

It may help as an aid to spelling to remember that a complement completes something and complete is spelt with an e (as well as the ‘e’ sound when pronounced).

‘Stationary’ and ‘stationery’

August 19, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 2 Comments

If I had a penny for every time I saw these mixed up, I would have a very heavy penny jar.

And I would get fed up of that face the cashiers at the bank pull when they see you are depositing lots of change.*

Stationary: not moving or motionless.
Stationery: writing and other office materials.

*I always sort it into the correct denominations and amounts, and put it into the little plastic bags. I don’t know why I still get the face.

‘Definitely’ and ‘defiantly’

August 18, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 4 Comments

‘Defiantly’ is not the only misspelling of ‘definitely’. However, it is the one that I read most often – spellcheckers don’t point it out with a helpful wiggly red line.

Definitely means without doubt or in a clear (definite) manner.

Defiantly means to do something in a way that shows resistance or rebellion.

Feats of daring-do

July 30, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 8 Comments

Of course, this should be derring-do. But the misspelling is understandable given the meaning of the word and its origins.

Derring-do is pleasantly archaic and often used humorously in modern writing.* It means actions showing heroic courage or feats of daring.

The word originated from the late Middle English dorryng do (meaning ‘daring to do’) being misprinted as derrynge do in the 16th-century editions of John Lydgate’s Chronicle of Troy.

The modern usage and spelling is usually most associated with Sir Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe.

*I would love to proofread a story where derring-do doesn’t look out of place. I am imagining pirates. Or an old-fashioned superhero.

‘Discreet’ or ‘discrete’?

June 8, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 1 Comment

These two words may be pronounced the same but they have different meanings.

Discreet means ‘tactful, careful, prudent and trustworthy’ (in regards to people) and ‘unlikely to attract attention’ (in regards to actions).

Discrete means ‘separate’ or ‘individually distinct’.

‘Dessert’ or ‘desert’?

May 15, 2015August 27, 2016Hannah McCall 6 Comments

I originally titled this post ‘Just ‘desserts” but I decided it would seem like I was trying to be clever.

Anyway, I expect that the misuse of either of these words is down to not knowing how many s’s to spell it with. The meanings are as follows:

Dessert: The sweet course of a meal, or a pudding.

Desert: Wastelands or a barren area of land; to abandon somebody or something (including military duties without leave); or to get what you deserve/be treated as you deserve (e.g. ‘just deserts’).

If it is a sweet food then use two s’s. If it is any of the other options, just use the one s.

Sources:

Oxford Dictionaries Online
The Penguin Writer’s Manual, Martin Manser & Stephen Curtis

‘Precede’ or ‘proceed’?

May 12, 2015August 27, 2016Hannah McCall Leave a comment

It is easy to get these two confused if you aren’t really concentrating or if you are distracted (perhaps by watching Daredevil, eating cake, or eating cake while watching Daredevil*).

However, the difference is fairly simple to understand: