spelling – Page 11 – LC Plaunt, M.Ed.

Monday Muddle: pair, pare, pear

LC September 19, 2022 Monday Muddle

pair: (noun) a set of two identical, similar, or coordinating items pare: (verb) to cut away the outer layer or edge (with a paring knife); to reduce (used in the expression “pare down”) pear: (noun) a fruit

Monday Muddle: strait, straight

LC September 12, 2022 Monday Muddle

strait: (noun) a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water Used in the expression “dire straits”. straight: (adjective) (adverb) moving in one direction; level; upright; not crooked, curved, or bent NOT used in the expression “dire straits”.

Monday Muddle: grammar, grammer

LC September 5, 2022 Monday Muddle

grammar: (noun) the study of the structure of language, word order, and how words change (according to tense, for example); the system of rules that guides the use of language; a book about grammar grammer: (noun) an affectionate term for someone who uses Instagram (who may or may not care …

Monday Muddle: there, their, they’re

LC August 29, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle: there: (adverb) used to indicate a location or a literal or figurative position; (there is/are) used to indicate the existence of something; (exclamation) used to direct attention; used to express satisfaction; used to comfort someone when repeated their: (possessive adjective) to show possession of something by someone who would be referred to as they they're: (contraction) they are

Monday Muddle: rue, roux

LC August 22, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle rue: (verb) regret deeply; lament; feel sorry about; feel remorse; grieve; (noun) regret; remorse; a type of evergreen shrub Used in the expression "rue the day roux: (noun) a mixture of butter (or butter substitute) and flour used as a base for making sauces NOT used in the expression "rue the day".

Monday Muddle: overdo, overdue

LC August 15, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle overdo: (verb) to do something in an excessive way; to exaggerate; to do more than reasonably expected overdue: (adjective) not done on time; not arrived when expected; not available when needed; late

Monday Muddle: affect, effect

LC August 1, 2022 Monday Muddle

By far the most common uses of affect and effect are affect as a verb and effect as a noun. The memory trick I use to help keep them straight is that affect is an action and starts with A. A is for action. Effect is a consequence or end result. E is for end. And if you have trouble remembering which is which, I would recommend trying to avoid the less common versions.

Monday Muddle affect: (verb) to alter; to change; to make a difference to; to sway the emotions of; (noun) facial expressions, gestures, vocal sounds that display emotion, often insincerely effect: (noun) end result; consequence; change resulting from an action or other cause; used in the term "special effects": (verb) to cause something to happen; usually used in the expression "to effect change"

Monday Muddle: noting, nothing

LC July 25, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle: noting: (verb, present participle of to note) taking note of; paying attention to; noticing; mentioning to someone else Part of the expression "also worth noting". nothing: (pronoun) not a thing; not anything; something of no value (can also be used as an adjective and adverb) NOT part of the expression "also worth noting", and in fact would mean the opposite.

Monday Muddle: hummus, humus

LC July 18, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle: hummus: (noun) food originating from the Middle East used as a dip or spread; made primarily from mashed chickpeas humus: (noun) organic matter that is left after plants, leaves, animals and insects have decayed; used to add nutrients to soil

I enjoy hummus on pita bread. I don’t think I would like humus on pita bread. 😳

Monday Muddle: uncharted, unchartered

LC July 11, 2022 Monday Muddle

Monday Muddle: uncharted: (adjective) describes a physical area that has not had a map or survey done of it; used figuratively to talk of areas that are new to the person navigating them Used in the expression uncharted territory. unchartered: (adjective)(uncommon, at least in its correct sense) describes an organization that does not have a charter or written constitution Not used in the expression uncharted territory.

Chartered (adjective) can mean to have a charter or constitution, but it can also be used to describe a vehicle that has been rented, usually with the driver, for private tours.

The other day a friend asked me how long Gilligan’s trip was supposed to be. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s okay; it just means you are young. (But if you ever need the answer for a trivia competition, it was a three hour tour.) Gilligan was working on a boat that was chartered. They may have ended up in uncharted waters, but because they were there, they were not unchartered waters.