In the old days, looking up a word could be problematic. First, we needed to get out of the chair and walk over to the shelf to retrieve the dictionary, and then (at least for people of a certain age) we had to find the reading glasses so we could see the small print. And then, of course, we had to figure out the spelling closely enough to locate the entry on the page.
But now, with online dictionaries and Google helping to guess what what we’re trying to find, it’s hardly a big effort to find the word we’re really looking for instead of the almost-right one. Like these:
… he was even less amiable to talking than you…
Amiable means pleasant, and while someone can certainly be (or not be) amiable during a conversation, this author meant to say that this person was agreeable (or not) about talking — that he was less amenable.
“You’ll keep me appraised?”
When we appraise something, we put a value on it. The author meant to say, “You’ll keep me apprised” — in other words, You’ll keep me informed.
Martinez decided to go with you as council.
A council is a committee or perhaps a governmental group that shares responsibility, like a city council. An attorney acting for a client is a counsel — one who counsels, or advises, the client.
only a symptom of sleep depravation…
If someone commits a heinous act while sleepwalking, we might call it sleep depravation — acting in a depraved manner while asleep. But keeping someone from sleeping — depriving them of rest? That’s sleep deprivation.
…uttering epitaphs as she went.
Unless she was muttering “Rest in Peace” or “Beloved Mother” or “You Will Always Be Missed” under her breath, she wasn’t uttering epitaphs but epithets. Epitaphs are the phrases we use to honor the deceased; epithets are usually disparaging or abusive words or phrases.
Kat looked at his furled brow…
Furled means rolled up. We can furl a flag or furl a big map. But brows are furrowed when they get those little wrinkles in the middle, between the eyes.
… hoping for her day in court when she might win a landfall….
Landfall is what sailors see from the crow’s nest when they’ve been at sea for a while and finally spot a shore. This client is hoping for a windfall — an unexpected or sudden gain.
Several people repel down a towering wall fitted with footholds.
Repel means to hold off. When climbing a cliff or a wall with ropes, one rappels.
And that’s enough for one week. But, sadly, The Snarky Editor has more. Oh, so many more…
The Snarky Editor comes out of hiding occasionally to comment on the awkward, silly, and sometimes hilarious editing errors found in published books.
#snarkyeditor #everybodyneedsaneditor
Leigh Michaels is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, including historical and contemporary romance, non-fiction books about writing, and local history. More than 35 million copies of her books are in print in 27 languages and more than 120 countries. She is also a writing coach and book editor, though she promises to be snarky only in regard to published books.
To find out more, check out https://leighmichaels.com
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