Tuesday Tricksters, Loath -- Luce

Well, we all made it through 2016, enjoyed our holidays, and are mostly back at work for the first time in 2017.

So with that in mind, I am continuing to post Tuesday Tricksters, mainly to remind my readers of the danger of blindly trusting spellcheck. Spellcheck's only job is to check spelling; it does not and cannot check or correct usage.

These tricksters, which are called homophones, sound alike (or nearly so), but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Smart writers go over every word they write (right, rite), so (sew, sough) they use (ewes, yews) the one (won) they meant to (too, two).

Loath (adj.): unwilling or reluctant; disinclined: I am loath to go on such short notice.

Loathe (v.): to feel intense dislike, disgust, or hatred for; abhor; detest

Lochs (n.): plural of loch, a lake or an arm of the sea, similar to a fjord

Locks (n.): plural of lock, anything that fastens something else and prevents it from opening, turning, etc.; (v.) to fasten or secure

Lox (n.): salt-cured or brined salmon

Loon (n.): any of several fish-eating diving birds, having a short tail, webbed feet, and a laughlike cry; (informal): one who is crazy or deranged

Lune (n.): a crescent-shaped figure on a plane or spherical surface

Loop (n.): the more or less circular figure formed by a line, thread, wire, etc. that curves back to cross itself; (v.): to wrap around one or more times

Loupe (n.): a jeweler's or watchmaker's magnifier

Loos (n.): praise, fame, reputation; plural of loo

Lose (v.): to be unable to find; to fail to win

Loose (adj.): unsecured; not confined or restrained (running loose)

Luce (n.): the fish known as a pike, Esox lucius, when fully grown

Are any of these new to you? I learned about loos, luce, and lune, not that I expect to use them any time soon.

For more on these or to check any English word you're not sure of, go to www.YourDictionary.com, a terrific resource that shows words, their definitions, and usage from several dictionaries.

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