I went to lunch recently and saw this menu. While the proper version is “house-made,” which means something is prepared in the establishment in which it is sold, while “homemade” is something made in a home. In other words, it appears three different ways–including the correct way–all on one page. And the original error I found was “quinoa” misspelled one line below where it is spelled correctly.
I caught this one on a recent trip to Norfolk for our conference. Yet another misuse of an apostrophe. Apostrophes do not always make a word plural!
I caught this on my favorite nightly news station. Since I was listening to the story, I can tell you that the word they wanted was “soldier.”
It’s time for a review of recent blog posts just in case you’ve missed them. We call this Replay Thursday. Here are posts from Proof That proofreading blog and 60 Is The New 60 blog during the past couple of weeks.
t’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to proofthatblog@gmail.com and they may appear here soon!
This week’s words are:
“Compliment” – an expression of praise, commendation, or admiration
“Complement” is something that completes or makes perfect
Memory Tips:
A complIment is something I like to hear.
A COMPLEment COMPLEtes something.
This was in an email I received. Because I live near Phoenix and work there, I noticed this right away. I also noticed that it is right in four other places and wrong in the very first line.
My brother sent me this one. I loved this drive in theater and spent many a date night there . . . but enough about that. There were so many errors in these two sentences. Here are my edits to it:
Today I’m spending time with my family, but I wanted to take a minute to let you all know that again this year, I am extremely grateful for you–the Proof That reader. Thank you for continuing to read the blog and especially thank you to those of you who send me Grammar Giggles, tell me that you learned something, or take the time to seek me out if you see me in person to let me know that you read the blog. Happy Thanksgiving!
It’s time for “Confusing Words of the Week” where I take a set of two or three words that get confused and give you definitions and try to give you a memory trick to help you remember when to use which word. If you have words that confuse you, use the Ask PTB tab on the website or send an email to proofthatblog@gmail.com and they may appear here soon!
Rifle – to ransack and steal
Riffle – to flip through
Memory Tips:
I would probably think of “riffle” with multiple “f” as the sound a magazine or book makes when your flip the pages–the same sound over and over (we’ll use the “f” sound).
Rifle I would associate with criminals using guns, so criminals are the ones who would be ransacking and stealing.
My daughter sent this one to me. My neighbors may think they live in “close profanity” to me, but I’m pretty sure they meant to say “close proximity.”
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