To err is … err… human

Been overusing Short Messaging Service? Chances are that it's reflecting in your official documents too! Since perfection is the order of the day, to err renders you silly, and sometimes even offensive. Here are a couple of instances that could intrude into your official letters, emails, or places where correct written language is a must.


Word pow-err
Mistaking homonyms are the most common errors. And though it’s human that your mind may sometimes refuse to assemble them, the not-so-pretty results should motivate you to keep them away. Here are few of the frequent ones.

1.Then and than: ‘Then’ is an adverb to signify a subsequent action (e.g., we then went home); ‘than’ is a conjunction used for comparatives (e.g., Rita is taller than me)

2.Effect and affect: ‘Effect’ is a noun. It signifies a development that has been caused by an action that happened before (e.g., the medicine had a good effect on her); ‘affect’ is a verb that defines the kind and degree of ‘effect’ (e.g., how did the medicines affect her?).

3.Everyday and every day: ‘Everyday’ is an adjective to describe something common, ordinary and sometimes even mundane (e.g., it’s an everyday affaire); ‘every day’ is an adverb that means daily (e.g., it’s something I do every day).

Apostrophe catastrophe
The apostrophe catastrophe is actually quite wide spread. It’s not just the little vertical stroke that makes a difference, the words mean different too. So check twice while typing them to keep those unwanted slips out.

1.Your and you’re: ‘Your’ is a pronoun. It signifies a belonging to ‘you’ (e.g., I like your car); ‘you’re’ is a contraction of ‘you are’ (e.g., you’re home early today).

2.Its and it’s: ‘Its’ is a pronoun that translates as belonging to a thing (e.g., lay the box on its right side). ‘It’s’ is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ (e.g., it’s a table).

3.Their and they’re: ‘Their’ is a pronoun that means ‘of them’ (e.g., I like their house); ‘they’re’ is a contraction of ‘they are’ (e.g., they’re coming to my house this evening).

4.Whose and who’s: ‘Whose’ is a pronoun that means ‘of whom’ or ‘of which’ (e.g., whose coat is this?); ‘who’s’ is a contraction for ‘who is’ or ‘who has’ (e.g., who’s the person in charge?).

5.Lets and let’s: ‘Lets’ is a verb that pertains to allowing (e.g., she lets her dog take a walk everyday); ‘let’s’ means making something possible and is a contraction for ‘let us’ (e.g., let’s go for a picnic).

Time tested

While some phrases have perpetrated themselves through time, there have been others that have picked up pace over the last century of so. Here are few phrases – old and new – that our conversation just can’t do without.

• Tongue in cheek: What it really means is to pretend to be serious when one is actually joking. This phrase originated from the action of biting ones tongue in the effort to suppress laughter. So, you put your tongue in your cheek when you bite it off with the side teeth.
• Stink to high heaven: It is used to describe strong odour. Shakespeare could have been the father of this one. The phrase occurs in his play “Hamlet” in the lines uttered by the king of Denmark, his uncle, Claudius: “O, my offense is rank, it smells to heaven;”
• Rub it in: It translate as, saying or doing something intending to make someone feel worse. It could have cropped up from another phrase: “rubbing salt to a wound”. Or it could also have come from the action of driving in something by rubbing it.
• Mark my words: An emphatic declaration, it means that the speaker’s words will be proven true eventually. This phrase comes from the fact that the word ‘mark’ actually meant to write it down or mark the words in ink. That way it was a written proof that could be verified later.