by Wilton H. Strickland

The advent of AI makes it seem almost futile to discuss the ways that professionals can enhance their writing. For those of you who prefer to maintain actual intelligence rather than grow dependent on the artificial imitation of it, here is the fifth installment in a series that I launched a decade ago (feel free to look back at the first, second, third, and fourth).

Sour Grapes

This phrase is often used to describe a negative or pessimistic attitude. Its true meaning, however, is richer and comes from one Aesop’s Fables, The Fox And The Grapes. A fox strains to reach some grapes but, after failing, remarks that they are sour and not worth having anyway. The phrase “sour grapes” therefore captures the essence of someone who acts as if something is not worth having despite clearly desiring it.

Home In v. Hone In

This is a mistake that I’ve noticed more and more often, even from prominent individuals sporting impressive credentials. The act of locating and approaching a target is to home in on it, not hone in, which makes no sense. “To hone” means to sharpen or refine, not to approach.

Down The Pike v. Down The Pipe

I noticed this mistake recently when a former judge’s clerk tried to pull rank on me when asserting greater insight into the judicial process. While scrambling to support a terrible decision that ignored record evidence and disregarded recent precedent, he mentioned that many similar cases would be coming “down the pipe.” I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the correct phrase is “down the pike,” a reference to travelers along the old turnpikes.

Plethora

This word does not mean just a large amount or a wide variety. It means an excess or overabundance (i.e., too much). I can say, without irony, that I have seen a plethora of incorrect uses of this word.

Tragedy v. Travesty

These are not synonyms. A travesty is a pale imitation or mockery of something, which is why the phrase “travesty of justice” became so popular in the legal profession: a court proceeding that seems serious and legitimate produces a ridiculous result. By contrast, when someone dies young, it is a tragedy rather than a travesty.

“In Mass”

When describing how a group of people is doing something together or as a whole, the proper term is en masse (from French and sounding like “on moss”), not “in mass.”

Staunch v. Stanch

If you are zealous about your beliefs, you are staunch. If you seek to stop the flow of blood from an open wound, you are attempting to stanch it. Being staunch won’t help.

Graduate v. Graduate From

If you line up dominoes from smallest to largest, you have graduated them. If you complete a course of study and obtain a bachelor’s degree, you have graduated from college. In other words, you have elevated yourself rather than the college (Spanish avoids this confusion by using a reflexive verb, “graduarse,” when referring to one’s graduation from an institution). If you say that you “graduated college,” you need to go back to it.

Titled v. Entitled

A book bearing a particular name is titled with that name. The author might be entitled to royalties from the sales, but that’s another matter.

Guerrilla v. Gorilla

A non-uniformed soldier who avoids open combat and blends in with civilians or the jungle is a guerrilla (two r’s and two l’s, which writers often miss). Technically, a guerrilla means “little war” in Spanish and does not refer to the warrior himself, who is a guerrillero. As used in English, however, “guerrilla” can refer to the style of warfare or to the warriors.

By contrast, a massive primate who emerges from the jungle beating its chest is a gorilla.

Defuse v. Diffuse

If you prevent a bomb from exploding or a fight from breaking out, you have defused a dangerous situation. If you allow a bomb to explode, it might diffuse shrapnel along with body parts.

Dual v. Duel

If you hold passports from two different countries, you are a dual citizen. If you walk ten paces before turning and shooting at your opponent, you are a citizen engaged in a duel.

Sew v. Sow

Sewing is the act of using needle and thread to stitch up something. Sowing is the act of burying seeds in the ground. If you like to spread gossip, you might be sowing the seeds of discord, but you are not sewing anything.

Tenets v. Tenants

If you have a particular set of beliefs, you adhere to those tenets. If you have a particular set of people living under your roof, you might have tenants.

Mores v. Morays

If you follow the traditional customs of your culture, you adhere to your culture’s mores. Adhering to morays is much more dangerous. The confusion between these words stems from the fact that they are homophones.

Bring v. Take

If you carry something to a location, you are bringing it there. If you carry something away from a location, you are taking it from there.

Like v. As

This distinction is at the point of extinction, but it is worth preserving because it fosters precision in writing. One helpful way to distinguish them is to use “like” when something is similar but “as” when something is identical. For example, I might say to another lawyer, “You’re a lawyer, just as I am.” I would not say, “You’re a lawyer, just like me.” This distinction also appears with regard to the phrase “such as,” such as in the following examples:

• I have some great novels like War and Peace in my personal library. (Incorrect if War And Peace is in the personal library, but correct if War And Peace is not in the personal library)
• I have some great novels such as War And Peace in my personal library. (Correct if War And Peace is in the personal library)
• I have some wonderful friends like Bob and Mary. (Incorrect if Bob and Mary are among the speaker’s friends, but correct if they are not among the speaker’s friends)
• I have some wonderful friends such as Bob and Mary. (Correct if Bob and Mary are among the speaker’s friends)

Misplaced Or Dangling Modifiers

“As a professional, your amateur behavior offends me.” This is an example of a misplaced modifier because the thing being modified (“me”) is too far away from the modifying phrase (“As a professional”). Better would be this: “As a professional, I am offended by your amateur behavior.” A dangling modifier is similar and occurs when the thing being modified is completely left out, such as here: “As a professional, your amateur behavior is offensive.”

Below are some other examples of how misplaced or dangling modifiers can create confusion (or even comedy):

• The patient was referred to the physician with stomach pains. (Which person has the pains?)
• Sitting on the park bench, the sun disappeared behind the mountains. (How was the sun sitting on the bench?)
• Riding my bicycle, a dog chased me. (How was the dog riding the bicycle?)
• On paper plates, we ate the hot dogs. (Why would you sit on paper plates?)
• I saw a dollar walking home. (How can a dollar walk?)

Jet Ski v. Wave Runner

Nobody seems to distinguish between these recreational watercrafts anymore, but I care about this because I grew up in Florida and know them to be very different. A jet ski is a single-person watercraft on which you stand or kneel and that has a collapsible steering column. A wave runner is a watercraft on which one or two people can sit and that has a fixed set of steering controls. I have fond memories of both of these machines, and a part of my youth dies whenever I see or hear someone refer to a wave runner as a jet ski.