Five Tricksy Words
Most often I mess up words as they come out of my mouth, mostly because I don't have a Google chip implanted in my gray matter. . . which would actually be kind of sweet, eh? Searching for definitions before you speak so you don't sound like an idiot might be bonus. On the down side, though, you'd be connected 24/7. Going off the grid would be impossible. Besides, it's way to Mark of the Beast and End Times and all that.
So let's do this the old fashioned way, shall we? Here are the definitions of 5 commonly confused sets of words. . .
Adverse means unfavorable or harmful.
Example: Drinking Drano will cause adverse eruptions in your esophagus.
Averse means dislike or opposition.
Example: I am averse to drinking Drano because it tastes like pureed fruitcake and leaves a gritty film on my tongue.
2. Affect and Effect
Affect means to influence.
Example: I paused for affect then announced, "Your hair is on fire, madam."
Effect means to accomplish something.
Example: The overall effect of the small fire on Mildred's head was positively gorgeous.
Of course, those examples are when you're using affect and effect as a verb. For nouns, effect is almost always correct. . . as in "personal effects."
3. Criteria and Criterion
Criterion is one. Criteria is two or more. 'Nuff said.
4. Discreet and Discrete
Discreet means careful, cautious, showing good judgment.
Example: She made a discreet inquiry to determine which proctologist had the gentlest touch.
Discrete means individual, separate or distinct.
Example: After a lengthy examination, the proctologist organized his report on Mrs. Murdock's "Down Under Problems" into discrete chapters.
5. Imply and Infer
Imply means to suggest.
Example: Just because my face turned blue from laughing does not mean I imply there is anything wrong with the way you dress.
Infer means to deduce.
Example: I inferred from the way my husband passed out when he balanced the checkbook that perhaps I had overdrawn the account again.