Teril's entries

Correcting Spoken Grammar Errors

Most of us will make the occasional mistake when speaking, whether we confuse an irregular verb tense or pronounce a word incorrectly. Whether English is our mother tongue or a second language, we might feel a b...

Acronym vs Anacronym

Do you know the difference between the words Acronym vs Anacronym? At first glance, we migh...

Personification vs Anthropomorphism

Do you know the difference between Personification vs Anthropomorphism? Personification and anthropomorphism are two kinds of literary devices that are ...

May vs Might

Most of us use “may” and “might” interchangeably. We often choose one or the other without giving it much thought and both sound right in most situations. ...

Irony vs Sarcasm

Irony and Sarcasm are both language devices that are used to shape meaning.Meaning can be expressed in complex ways. We are able to create double meanings; we can say things that we don’t mean, while our meaning ...

Cognitive Dissonance vs Cognitive Consonance

Cognitive Dissonance and Cognitive Consonance are the opposite of each other, but they certainly live side by side: if you pay attention to your mental state, you might discover that you are...

Dog Language: Words from A Dog’s World

If you are thinking about getting a dog, or if you already have a dog, it is important to know some of the vocabulary in the dog world. ...

The Use of Repetition as a Rhetorical Device: Anaphora, Epistrophe, and Symploce

Do you know these three words: Anaphora, Epistrophe, and Symploce?...

People Is” vs “People Are”

Let’s begin with the most simplistic statement: “People are…” is correct. “People is…” is not correct....

Coffeehouse Language: Vocabulary for a Great Cup of Coffee

Did you know that coffee grows on trees?The goal of this article is to clarify and organize some basic concepts relating to coffee an...

Compared To vs Compared With: What is the Difference?

The phrases “compared to” and “compared with” are used interchangeably and are usually assumed to have the same meaning. But do they?  ...

Backup and Back up? What’s the Difference?

We all use the word Backup. Or is it Back Up? ...

Common Yiddish Idioms in English

Did you know that the word “bagel” is taken from Yiddish?How about the origin of the word “glitch”? Di...

6 American Football Expressions

Many expressions from American football have made their way into our everyday speech and we use football expressions without even realizing that we are echoing the language of the football stadium....

Idolatry vs. Idiolatry vs. Ideology: What’s the Difference

Idolatry, idiolatry, ideology. These three words look somewhat the same. They sound somewhat the same. Do you think that these ...

Fake News: How to Check Your Facts

Fake news is essentially false information that is presented as true and appears at first glance to be from a trustworthy source. ...

Artisan vs. Artesian: What is the Difference?

Do you think the words “artisan” and “artesian” belong to new-age, eco-friendly lingo?Do these two words mean the same thing?Are they pronounced differentl...

More So Vs. Moreso: Which is the Correct Spelling?

More so and moreso mean the same the thing. But which spelling should we use? Here is the simple answer: The two-word phrase, ...

Regard vs. Regards: Which is Correct?

Do we say, “in regard to” or “in regards to”?Do I “send you my regard” or “send you my regards”?Do you end your correspondence “with best regard” or “with best regards”?...

Bait vs. Bate: Do You Know the Difference?

You know the expression, “…with bated/baited breath…” What do you think? Is it spelled "bai...

Today’s Slang: 15 Traditional Words That Have New Meanings

Slang is often invented and used by the youth of each generation. These new words, or new ways of using existing words, provide the young with a way of defining their identity, separate from their parents and from the adults of their time. When ...

Curmudgeon or Smart Aleck: Which Would You Rather Be?

Would you rather be a “curmudgeon” or a “smart aleck”?  Although these words are usual...

Media Literacy for Parents of School-Age Children

Children are being brainwashed daily by the media. And so are we. Your school-age children have grown up in a world influenced by media, and they intuitiv...

What Is an Archetype?

We use the word “archetype” in our daily language to refer to a prototype or a perfect model for something. ...

Hypothesis vs. Prediction

In our daily life, we are constantly using hypotheses and predictions to make logical, factual decisions. Although both Hypotheses and Predictions are types of...