Monday Muddle: forth, fourth

forth: (adverb) forward or outward from a starting point  fourth: (adjective, noun) ordinal number; number four in a series; (noun) 25% of the whole March 4th was chosen as Grammar Day, because the date is also a complete sentence. How will you celebrate tomorrow?

Monday Muddle: marinade, marinate

marinade: (noun) an acidic liquid, typically made of vinegar or wine with spices, used for soaking food to flavour or tenderize it  marinate: (verb) to soak something in a marinade Language changes based on use. Dictionaries record how people use language even if the use is considered incorrect when it …

Monday Muddle: set up, setup

set up: (phrasal verb) arrange; construct, organize; make ready for use; start (a business) setup: (noun, adjective) organization, organizational; preparation, preparatory  As a noun, setup is the result of setting something up. e.g. a great camera setup As an adjective, setup describes something that will be used in setting something up. e.g. …

Monday Muddle: woman, women

woman: (singular noun) ONE singular female human women: (plural noun) MORE THAN ONE female human With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it was important to give you this advice. Do not write “To the women I love” if you are only addressing one woman. She might not understand.

Monday Muddle: every day, everyday

every day: (quantifier + noun) each day; all daysIf putting single between every and day makes sense, you need a space.  everyday: (adjective) ordinary; routine; commonplace; average Used to describe common things whether they are used every day or not.

Monday Muddle: cite, sight, site

cite: (verb) to quote; to refer to something; to summon to court;to issue a notice of violation  sight: (noun) ability to see; field of vision; something seen or worth seeingUsed in the word sightseeing. site: (noun) a specific location NOT used in the word sightseeing, even if some sights are sites.

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