‘Slay’ and ‘sleigh’

December 14, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 2 Comments

It is getting closer to the time when Father Christmas delivers presents! As he dashes around the world every Christmas Eve, his method of transport is a sleigh.

Santa’s Slay is a film I don’t think I ever need to see.

Slay

to kill something in a violent way
to delight, impress or amuse someone very much
a tool used in weaving

Sleigh

a sledge drawn by animals, usually horses (or reindeer!)
(sleighing) ride on a sleigh

Here’s ‘Jingle Bells’, with the well-known sleigh-related lyrics:

Feeling Christmassy yet?

‘Palate’, ‘palette’ and ‘pallet’

November 23, 2015November 23, 2015Hannah McCall 1 Comment

I must admit I have to think very carefully about these three.

Palate:

the roof of the mouth
the sense of taste or ability to distinguish between and appreciate flavours
the flavour of wine and beer

Palette:

a flat, thin board used by artists to mix paints
the range of colours characteristic of a particular artist or school of painting, also the range of colours used in a particular painting
the range of colours, patterns or shapes that can be displayed on the visual display unit of a computer
the range of tonal colour in a piece of music

Pallet:

a straw-filled mattress or bed; a crude, temporary or makeshift bed
a tool (often wooden) with a flat blade used for shaping clay or plaster
a portable platform for stacking, storing and moving goods
a projection on a machine part that changes the motion of a wheel

Pallet also has specialist uses in relation to timepieces and heraldry.

‘Whine’ and ‘wine’

October 19, 2015October 20, 2015Hannah McCall 8 Comments

I bring you more homophones.

Whine:

a long, high-pitched plaintive cry; a long, high-pitched unpleasant sound
to issue a long, high-pitched cry or sound
a petulant complaint
to whinge or complain.

Wine:

an alcoholic drink produced by the fermenting of grapes (usually with sugar and water)
an alcoholic drink produced by the fermenting of other fruits and flowers (usually with sugar and water)
a dark purplish-red colour.

You can wine and dine someone by offering them (usually lavish) drinks and a meal, or you can wine and dine as you enjoy yourself by eating and drinking.

Thank you to Jeff Curry for suggesting this post.

‘Tire’ and ‘tyre’

October 12, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 1 Comment

In British English, these are the spellings for two words with different meanings.

Tire:

to reduce the energy of (usually by exertion); to feel or cause to feel in need of sleep/rest
to become bored with or lose interest in something; to exhaust the patience of.

Tyre:

a ring of rubber fitted round the rim of a wheel of a road vehicle to form a soft contact with the road
a band of metal fitted round the rim of a wheel (typically of a railway vehicle).

In American English, tire is the standard spelling for both meanings. Tyre is actually thought to be a variant of the old form tire (a shortening of attire because the tyre was seen as the ‘clothing’ of the wheel).

Thank you to Aeryn Rudel for suggesting this post.

Are you on tenderhooks?

October 7, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 5 Comments

No, but you might be on tenterhooks.

If you are on tenterhooks, you are in a state of suspense or agitation because of uncertainty about an event in the future.

Tenterhooks were hooks that held cloth firmly in place on tenters. Tenters were wooden frames used to stretch cloth after it had been milled. They were used so that cloth dried evenly and didn’t shrink.

The first usage of tenterhooks in the sense of suspense can be found in Tobias Smollett’s novel The Adventures of Roderick Random, published in 1748: “I made no reply, but left him upon the tenter-hooks of impatient uncertainty.”

‘Warn’ or ‘worn’?

October 5, 2015October 6, 2015Hannah McCall 1 Comment

Warn:

to make someone aware of a possible danger or problem
to give cautionary advice to someone about about their actions or conduct.

Worn:

the past participle of wear
showing signs of use or wear; damaged as a result of long use
looking tired and/or ill.

Alley-oop

October 2, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall Leave a comment

This term will probably be familiar to basketball fans.

The word alley-oop was first used in the early 20th century, and it is suggested that it originates from the French allez! (meaning ‘go on’ said in an encouraging way) and an alteration of up.

An alley-oop or alley-oop pass is a high pass caught above the basket by a leaping player who tries to dunk the ball before landing.

Alley-oop can also be used as an exclamation. It encourages or draws attention to the performance of a physical feat (often acrobatic).

There is a song by the Hollywood Argyles titled Alley Oop; it was inspired by a comic strip of the same name. I prefer the version that the Beach Boys released. Here it is:

You’re welcome.

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More nautical words!

September 24, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 1 Comment

It’s World Maritime Day. Here are some nautical terms you might find interesting:

Affreightment: a contract hiring a vessel to carry goods
Bitts: a pair of posts mounted on a ship for fastening ropes or cables
Bream: to clean a ship (or its bottom) of weeds and other matter by burning or scraping it
Bumpkin (or bumkin or boomkin): a short boom projecting from the deck of a ship
Cabotage: sailing between points in the same country
Cocket: an official form issued by a customs officer or an official seal from a customs house
Scuttlebutt: a water butt or cask containing drinking water on board a ship; rumour or idle gossip (because sailors would trade gossip when they gathered at the scuttlebutt for a drink)
Walty: insecure or wobbly; inclined to tip over, lean or list

You can find more information on World Maritime Day here.

‘Fourth’ and ‘forth’

September 23, 2015September 24, 2015Hannah McCall 1 Comment

These two are homophones, and we all know what that means.

Fourth: number four in a sequence. Sometimes a fourth is used to mean a quarter (usually North American usage). There are also some applications in regards to musical notes.

Forth: onward/forward in time or place, or out from a starting point and forward/into view.

‘Current’ or ‘currant’?

September 21, 2015March 16, 2016Hannah McCall 1 Comment

Currant

A small dried fruit made from a seedless grape*
A small round acid berry
A family of shrubs that produce berries (including redcurrants and blackcurrants)

Current

Of the immediate present – happening or being done/used now
Most recent or up-to-date
Commonly accepted or in common use
A flow of air or water in a definite direction, particularly through a body of air or water that has less movement
A flow of electricity or the rate of flow of electric charge
A general trend or drift (thoughts, opinions and events)

* Only acceptable in foodstuffs if it has first been soaked in copious amounts of brandy, rum or similar (as far as I am concerned).