This is one of those words that has very different meanings inside and outside the United States. Inside the United States, a man can knock up a woman by making her pregnant. A woman can be knocked up. Outside the United States, anyone can knock up someone else by doing something to wake him or her up. It can also mean to excite someone who is tired, to make or create something, or ask someone to come to a certain place. Caution should be used …
The English language seems to have an endless supply of confusing verb forms! But I’m doing my best to demystify them one by one or, in this case, three in one shot! I’ll tackle the verb “drink” and its past forms, “drank” and “drunk,” so there’s no confusion over how to use them. I’ll also touch on whether “drinked” is a word (spoiler alert: it’s not). Let’s fill up on tips and quench your thirst for grammatical knowledge! Is It …
The occasion celebrated on the first day of April is officially called April Fools’ Day in the United States. Each word of the title is capitalized and the fool is plural possessive. The singular fool’s is listed as a variant spelling. However, this is not standardized and the main listing seems to vary from dictionary to dictionary (i.e., whether the plural or the singular is listed as the main spelling). Actual usage seems to support this non-preference, with both spellings being used about the same frequency. …
Fatuous is an adjective that describes something or someone as absurd or brainless. It comes from the Latin word for foolish. The adverb form is fatuously and the noun form is fatuousness. Facetious is also an adjective. It describes something or someone as being deliberately casual or silly in serious matters and with inappropriate humor. Good synonyms are flippant, glib, and tongue-in-cheek. The adverb form is facetiously and the noun form is facetiousness. It should be noted that most of the time facetious is used simply to denote that …
Quiver is a verb that means to shake slightly, usually it is compared to a shiver or a trembling. A quiver can be the act of quivering or a container for an archer’s arrows. The adverb form for the verb is quiveringly. The adjective form is quivery, but this is rare and should be used with caution. There is a slight preference for this adjective form outside the United States. Quaver is a verb that means to shake one’s voice slightly, so that the sounds produced undulate or …
An idiom is a phrase that is more than the sum of its parts, or in other words, has more of a meaning than the individual words used in the phrase. Examples include pay the piper, for the birds, and pulling one’s leg. Idiom is also a synonym for dialect, a way of speech particular to a geographical area that has specific vocabulary, syntax, and grammar. Finally, it can be used to describe a method of expression particular to a person, time period, …
Enmity is a mass noun that speaks of a state of hatred or ill will between two people or groups. This opposition is acted upon and usually mutual. The plural is enmities. Animosity means a feeling of hatred or ill will. It is also a mass noun. The plural is animosities. A related word hostility also means a long-held mutual hatred, but it is usually used to describe the actions taken in response to this feeling. It can also literally mean acts of warfare. The plural …
When it comes to old terms from around the world, we have to be mindful of how we’re using them today. Sometimes a word’s meaning can get lost over time, and it’s important to remind ourselves to handle it with care. Terms like futz and putz, for example. These old Yiddish terms for someone who’s considered an idiot or great at wasting time should really only be used in a lighthearted sense. But let’s dive into their origins, so you …
Proverbial is an adjective that can either mean that it has to do with a proverb, or that something is common knowledge or known about by many people. It is mostly used to modify a word or phrase within a well-known proverb or idiom. The adverb form is proverbially. A proverb is a common saying that imparts truth or advice. It is usually short and concise. In the Bible there is a whole book of these sayings aptly named Proverbs However, sometimes people use proverbial when …
Militate is a verb that means to have a significant and influential part or effect. The verb is usually used with the word against and is therefore negative most of the time. Militate against is used to speak of halting or preventing things. It should be noted that militate does not have an object and is an intransitive verb. When militate is used in the positive sense, it is usually paired with toward or towards. The prevalence of either is about equal, and both are extremely rare and should be used with …