Save on office supplies at Amazon.

Saturday

Loose and Lose - Mixed messages and misused words from A to Z



Loose and Lose - Mixed messages and misused words from A to Z


Editors everywhere lose their minds over this one, as people use language too loosely.

Loose refers to something is too big to fit appropriately. Think of an over-sized dog collar, a screw that cannot be tightened, or baggy clothing. Used as a verb, loose means to untie, unbind, or set free.

But lose points to misplacing, dropping, or eliminating something (such as a few extra pounds). Lose also refers to falling short or suffering defeat in a conflict or competition.

Here’s a fitting example of the correct use of loose and lose.

Want a belt? If those pants are too loose, you might lose them. Maybe they weren’t loose before, but they are now, since you tightened up that loose waistline. Now cinch up that loose belt before I lose my lunch.

Have I lost you yet? 

Image/s:
Misused word pair
Created by this user
At CoolText
 Abused and misused word graphics
adapted from public domain artwork


Feel free to follow on GooglePlus and Twitter. You are also invited to join this writer's fan page, as well as the Chicago Etiquette Examiner, Madison Holidays Examiner, Equestrian Examiner and Madison Equestrian Examiner on Facebook.


6 comments:

  1. I have seen those words wrongly used in published, print material and I'm no talking about blogs, wither!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have seen those words wrongly used in published, print material and I'm not talking about blogs, either!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for visiting my blog yesterday. Good luck with the rest of A to Z!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I can relate as a former Teacher of English! Thanks for the entertaining blog.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am an editor, and it drives me crazy! This is one you only see in print, as the pronunciations are different.

    ReplyDelete

Agree? Disagree? Have related insights, ideas, or a story to share? Feel free to comment, and let Working in Words know you were here.