A reader asks, Will you please comment on the use of “as well as” as used below: “Deng Xiaoping made a significant contribution with his theoretical courage of Marxism, matter-of-fact attitude, rich experience, as well as his foresight and sagacity.” “As well as” doesn’t seem to me to be equivalent to “and.” According to Merriam-Webster, “as … Read more
A reader wants to know how to write the word that describes the sport of propelling oneself over water on long narrow pieces of wood: Should it be water-ski, water ski, or waterski?” Naturally, I went directly to the OED, where I found the following spellings: waterski (noun) waterski (verb) waterskiing (noun) water-skier (noun) Second … Read more
My cumulative list of words commonly confused continues with ten that begin with the letters N and P. The confusion relates to spelling or meaning. 1. nutritional / nutritious The adjective nutritional means, “related to the process of nutrition,” that is, using food to support life. Ex. The nutritional value of one egg is the equivalent … Read more
A reader has a question about a “cute little sign” she bought: Something just isn’t right. Here’s the wording: “I am at the age that makeup is no longer optional.” I want to replace “the age” with “that age” and change “that makeup” to “when makeup.” Any insights or suggestions? The difference between “the … Read more
Hearing the word trustable used twice on National Public Radio (NPR) in what seemed to be a serious context, I decided to explore the usage. Although the form trustable can be documented—the OED cites examples dated 1606, 1884, and 1900—it’s a rarity in modern usage. Both, trustable and untrustable make a slight showing on the … Read more
A reader asks, What’s the difference between ‘Quest’ and ‘Pursuit’? Under which situation their usage should be preferred. Please offer some examples. On one level, the words are synonyms: The congressman himself has been fascinatingly silent in pursuit of the nomination. He had resigned his ambassadorship to return home in quest of the nomination. … Read more