Comments on: Getting a Raise and Getting a Rise

By: opsimath

opsimath — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 17:12:02 +0000

An interesting post, especially the headline at the end. I would think if it read ‘Experts predict salaries to rise’, it wouldn’t cause anyone any trouble.

All in all, it reminds me of the old (UK English) cartoon, in which the dialogue went something like:

‘The expression, Jenkins, is a rise in salary, rather than a raise, although I prefer increase. Anyway, the answer is ‘no’.

By: Emma

Emma — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:54:20 +0000

… and, of course, the word “raze” which is from a completely different stem, but pronounced the same way & means more or less the opposite – as you “raze to the ground” (i.e. flatten / burn down / do something destructive)

I guess that must be very confusing to those who’ve never seen the word written (or even if they have!) as it apparently contradicts the idea of going upwards!

By: Marlene

Marlene — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:27:21 +0000

However, I think there is another meaning to ‘getting a rise’ in American parlance. When used with the phrase “out of someone” I have understood the expression ‘getting a rise’ to mean to taunt/tease someone enough to provoke a response. GoEnglish.com defines the phrase as succeeding in bothering a person.

By: Dave Krunal

Dave Krunal — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:57:26 +0000

I understood the difference but more interested in RAISE

By: Adam Harding

Adam Harding — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:34:03 +0000

I’m no grammar buff, but as simple verbs, I believe “rise” is an intransitive verb and “raise” is a transitive verb, both of which mean to increase or move up.