Almost weekly, I talk about things in English that are difficult. Here's another for the mix.
Sometimes, when two words are apart, they have one meaning. When they're put together to form one word, they mean something else.
• Every day versus everyday
"Everyday" means ordinary or routine.
I should have worn my everyday shoes for this walk in the park.
"Every day" means daily.
I need chocolate every day.
• Anyone versus any one
"Anyone" is the same as "anybody." They're interchangeable.
Can anyone tell me who is the toughest Marvel superhero?
"Any one" means any particular person or thing.
I don't think any one of those bicycles is right for me.
• All together versus altogether
"All together" means everyone in the same place.
We were all together to watch the final episode of "Survivor.''
"Altogether" means completely.
In a song from the film "Hans Christian Andersen," the inimitable Danny Kaye sings about the emperor: "He's altogether as naked as the day that he was born.''
For some reason, that song helps me remember when to use "altogether.''
Strangely, "altogether" also means "nude.''
He knows he shouldn't be at the supermarket in the altogether, but he forgets sometimes.
• Sometime verses some time
"Sometime" means at a random time in the future.
Let's go out to dinner sometime.
"Some time" means a period of time.
A good home-cooked meal takes some time.
• Anyway versus any way
"Anyway" means by whatever means. "Any way" means some way. It's easier to show this with examples than to explain.
I'll get to Paris anyway I can: plane, boat or parachute.
Is there any way I can help you with this mess?
TWO WORDS, NOT ONE
Some phrases are always two words, but people often try to make them one. Remember not to make these into one word:
A lot (meaning many)
No one (extra confusing because "nobody" is one word and means the same thing.)
All right ("Alright," as one word, is becoming more common, but it's still not standard.)
ONE WORD, NOT TWO
And some words mistakenly get broken into two, though they should be one:
Anyhow (meaning however)
Albeit (meaning though)
Although (also meaning though)
GET BUOYANT
Sometimes, out of the blue, I think of words that I like. This is not the worst vice I could have.
This week, the word was "buoyant.''
I like it because it has two different meanings, but the context makes the meaning clear.
When something is buoyant, it floats in the water or in the air. A helium balloon is buoyant. The word comes from "buoy," which is a marker that floats in the water.
But buoyant also means cheerful and lighthearted. It's used to describe people, unless you have stumbled on an inanimate item that can change moods. (Let me know. And I never fell for mood rings.)
Possibly, the cheerful meaning came from the floating definition. Or maybe because the expression "floating on air" also means buoyant. I couldn't find a clear link, though.
NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT
(Or we could say nothing at which to sneeze.)
I tried to track down why a cold is called "a" cold while the flu is "the" flu.
The answer I received from a doctor was the most succinct and most medical, so I'll go with that one.
He says that people can get colds from many viruses. But, usually, the flu is caused by a specific virus. Remember "the swine flu" that eventually received the less-porcine but more Star Wars-style name, the H1N1? People were vaccinated for that certain virus.
AS COLD AS ...
I have tried to find expressions that start out, "It's as cold as ...''
I found an impressive array of nonsubtle phrases using cold hindquarters of humans and animals, most of which I am hesitant to repeat here.
I liked a couple of the ones I can repeat:
As cold as a well-digger's knee in the Klondike.
As cold as a mother-in-law's breath.
No offense to the mothers-in-law out there. Speak to your sons-in-law.
My sources and how to reach me: Merriam-Webster, Fowler's Modern English Usage, American Heritage Dictionary, yourdictionary.com, Washington State University, thoughtco.com
bkwordmonger@gmail.com
ActiveStyle on 02/19/2018