Monday Muddle: faze, phase

faze: (verb) to disturb; to worry; to flusterPart of the expression “That doesn’t faze me.”  phase: (noun) a stage or period of development; (verb) to order by stages NOT part of the expression “That doesn’t faze me.”

Monday Muddle: copywrite, copyright

copywrite: (verb, nonstandard) to write copy (generally for business or advertising) (rare back-formation from copywriter)  copyright: (noun) the authority to copy creative content (aka intellectual property); (verb) to register the copyright of creative content

Monday Muddle: born, borne

born: (past participle of the verb ‘to bear’) was brought from the womb; resulted from; having qualities from birth (e.g. I am Canadian born.) borne: (past participle of the verb ‘to bear’) given birth to; carried; endured; produced; brought aboutUsed in all cases when followed by ‘by’. Both “born” and …

Monday Muddle: mouse, moose, mousse

mouse: (noun) rodent; small animal  moose: (noun) ungulate; large animal  mousse: (noun) foamy substance; hair product; light and delicious dessert If you are making desserts for holiday gatherings, please make mousse rather than either of the other two.

Monday Muddle: peek, peak

peek: (noun) a quick look or glance; (verb) to take a quick look or glance, often secretively  Used in the expression “a sneak peek”.  peak: (noun) the summit; pointed top; highest level; (verb) to reach the highest level  NOT used in the expression “a sneak peek”. A sneak peak is …

Monday Muddle: advise, advice

advise: (verb) to give counsel, tips, or suggestions  advice: (noun) the counsel, tips, or suggestions that are given  If you want the verb–the word that represents the action–spell it with an S.  If you want the noun, spell it with a C.