Archives

  1. “Oblivious To” vs. “Oblivious Of”: Are You Using Them Correctly?

    Oblivious to and oblivious of can both be used the same way. You can generally pick one based on which sounds better in the context of the sentence. Essentially, they both mean that someone is unaware of something. Synonyms Oblivious to and oblivious of share a meaning with a number of phrases, like ignorant of, unaware of, unconscious of, and blind to. Similarly, it may …

  2. “Not Good” vs. “No Good”: When To Use Them Both

    Here’s something that’s good to know: No good means something has no use or value, and has no potential of becoming good. Not good means something is bad or undesirable. The correct way to use them isn’t that clear cut. At times, there’s no difference, and they can be used interchangeably. No Good When good is used as a noun, no can quantify or modify …

  3. What Exactly Is The Spring Equinox?

    We get pretty excited about the spring equinox bringing us out of winter and officially starting the season of spring. But what exactly is the spring equinox? And does an equinox happen at the start of every season? First, let’s get into the equinox, which actually occurs just twice a year. The word equinox comes from Latin and means “equality of night and day.” So, …

  4. Manor vs. Manner

    A manor is a mansion or stately home. A manner is a characteristic way of doing something. These words are homophones (words that sound the same but have different meanings), so it’s easy to mix them up. Manor In the context of a feudal system, manor referred to an estate or territorial unit consisting of a lord’s home and lands. In other words, the area …

  5. “Make Peace” With vs. “Come To Terms With”

    These two phrases mean almost the same thing, but it can be useful to know the difference. Making peace with something means you “become resolved or reconciled.” Coming to terms with something means you “accept or become resigned” to it. It can also mean to reach an agreement. Make peace with is usually used to talk about humans. Come to terms with is usually used …

  6. Loath vs. Loathe

    It can be easy to mix up loath and loathe because of their extremely similar spellings, but here’s the difference: Loath is an adjective that means reluctant. Loathe is a transitive verb that means to be disgusted with. The fact that both words carry negative connotations also makes it easy to confuse them. It might help to know that their pronunciations are slightly different. Loath …

  7. Kudo vs. Kudos

    You’ve probably heard these words floating around various celebrations, but do you know the difference? Kudos is a noun that means “praise, honor, or acclaim.” Kudo is the singular version of kudos, but kudos is also singular. Kudos comes from the Greek word kydos, which means praise or renown. Kudos are usually offered in response to an exceptional achievement. A Brief History of Kudos The …

  8. “Juridical Process” vs. “Judicial Process”

    Let’s bring some order to these two similar terms. The juridical process relates to the administration of the law. The judicial process is the series of steps a legal dispute goes through in the court system. It deals with procedural issues, and it determines the roles of the judge and the jury in a courtroom. The judicial process also deals with the role and jurisdiction …

  9. Itch vs. Scratch: What’s The Difference?

    Okay, this one might make you feel a little itchy. An itch is a skin irritation that causes the desire to scratch. Scratch describes the action used to relieve an itch. The grammatically correct construction is “to scratch an itch.” People often use itch and scratch in place of each other in everyday speech. For example, you may hear people saying they need to “itch …

  10. Irreparable vs. Unrepairable

    The words irreparable and unrepairable are synonyms that mean unable to be fixed. Both irreparable and unrepairable are adjectives (words that modify nouns by describing an aspect of them). Irreparable was first used between the late 1300s to early 1400s. It’s a Middle English word derived from the Latin term, irreparabilis, meaning not able to be recovered. Unrepairable is a related form of the verb …

  11. Insidious vs. Invidious

    Insidious and invidious both describe the way someone does something bad. Insidious implies secrecy, while invidious is more open. An insidious action is sneaky and harmful. An invidious action is also negative, but it happens out in the open. Insidious Insidious actions are covert. Those who carry them out hope to accomplish some act of evil. For example, lies are insidious. Secret meetings and intrigue …

  12. 11 Classic Cocktails Everyone Should Know