Tuesday Tricksters, Main -- Manor
It's Tuesday, so it's time for more tricksters, words known as homophones that sound the same (or nearly so), but have different spellings and meanings. They're miserable to work with because if our brains and eyes are not connected to our fingers, our ears may win the battle of which word to use.
No one can memorize all the possibilities, but I hope each Tuesday's post reminds you to check what you've written and not blindly trust spellcheck to keep you safe. Spellcheck is one of the modern miracles, but it only does one thing: it checks spelling. It cannot and does not check usage.
And not every platform we write on even includes spellcheck, so be careful!
Something new: links to pictures of words you might enjoy seeing.
*****
Main (adj.): the most important; the primary person or thing
Mane (n.): the long hair on the top and sides of the neck of certain mammals, such as a horse or a male lion
Mein (n.): Chinese wheat flour noodles used in dishes like lo mein; (adj.) German: mine (and pronounced like that)
Maize (n.): corn
Maze (n.): a confusing system of paths that is difficult to navigate
Mall (n.): a shaded walk or public promenade; a large, often enclosed shopping complex聽
Maul (v.): to tear into with teeth; (n.): a very heavy ax or mallet for driving stakes, wedges, etc.
Mandrel (n.): a spindle or an axle used to secure or support material being machined or milled
Mandrill (n.): a聽primate,聽Mandrillus聽sphinx, recognized by its colorful face and rump
Manna (n.) in the Bible, the food miraculously provided for the Israelites in the wilderness during their flight from Egypt
Manner (n.): the way of doing something or behaving
Manor (n.): a mansion
Were any of these new to you? I had never heard of a mandrel, and I thought a mandrill was some sort of duck. Oops.
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.
************
Thanks for taking the time to read this post. I hope you find it relevant, and if it has helped you in any way, I also hope you will ...聽
Share it, so your connections can see it and perhaps learn too. Let me know what you liked best or learned; that will also help you be seen by my connections. You never know who would be interested in聽YOU (just ask Deb Helfrich how well it worked for her!).聽
*************
**************
Do the associates in your company look and sound as smart as they are?聽They would if they could take one of my聽Brush Up on Your Skills聽workshops right where they work. If your company hires outside experts to teach any topic to its associates, please share my posts and website聽with your Human Resources or Training Manager.聽
Are you a member of an association or other groupthat is looking for a speaker for one of its meetings? There are a lot of communication-based topics that could be perfect for a light-hearted and interesting presentation.聽
I offer聽free聽generic聽Brush Up on Your Skills聽workbooks聽in a pdf format in American grammar, business writing, and interpersonal skills. They show what I teach in my three-hour corporate classes.
Want one? Let me know which one, and please send me your e-mail address.
""
Articles from Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
View blogIn my last 路 post, I wrote about recently giving a refresher program on manners to some men in a lon ...
I鈥檓 not the first, and I鈥檓 sure I won鈥檛 be the last here on LI (or any other professional platform) ...
It's been quite a while since I last offered you a quiz, so ... 路 I hope you knock this one off in a ...
You may be interested in these jobs
-
Cardiac Technician
Found in: Lensa US P 2 C2 - 3 days ago
Beacon Health System South Bend, United StatesReports to Director. Observes telemetry monitors and recognizes arrhythmias. Provides safe patient environment. Exhibits exceptional patient experience by upholding Beacon values of respect, trust, integrity and compassion. Functions within the relationship based care nursing mod ...
-
Part-Time Seasonal
Found in: Lensa US P 2 C2 - 2 days ago
City of Chicago School District - Chicago Public Schools Chicago, United States Part timeTemporary Part Time Seasonal Roles The Chicago Public Schools utilizes temporary part-time seasonal support in school-based, network and central office positions. Duties are identified by the hiring manager following the application process. Position Seasonal, Part-Time, Monitor, ...
-
Deputy Area Director
Found in: One Red Cent US C2 - 2 weeks ago
Department Of Health And Human Services Saint Michaels, United States Full timeSummary 路 The position is located in the Office of the Area Director, NAIHS at Saint Michaels AZ. Serves as the Deputy Area Director within the Navajo Area Indian Health Service (NAIHS). Position will be responsible for overall administrative and financial management of the Area ...
Comments
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #2
Susan 馃悵 Rooks, The Grammar Goddess
7 years ago #1
Hi Laura Mikolaitis, and thanks! I finally realized that I get to see the pictures in the dictionary, even when they're not very good, so I thought I'd find a few that would be fun to see. And I started looking because I wanted to find the Mandrill Duck -- which does not exist. Why I thought it would be a duck is beyond me. So, I think I'll find ways to incorporate a picture or two each time, if the words are worth it. Have a great day yourself!