Marquee and marquis -
Mixed messages and misused words from A to Z
Maybe this oxymoronic example is a bit removed from common
usage, but it’s still a mystery of misuse. These two words are actually homonyms, as they sound the same, but bear very different spellings and meanings.
A marquee is a signboard, a lettered
banner, or an awning. You might see a marquee over the entrance to an old-fashioned theatre. And a marquis is an elite, aristocratic, high
society or royal member of the nobility. A marquis is the male counterpart to a
marquess, even as a baron is the masculine form of a baroness.
Here’s how this plays
out.
The marquis was
miffed, mainly because he missed top billing on the marquee. So he called his marshall and marshaled his military to march on the metropolis and institute martial law.
Gee, what would Marky Mark say about that? Don’t mention it.
Image/s:
Misused word pair
Created by this user
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Abused and misused word graphics
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What a fabulous theme for A to Z! Thanks for clearing this one up for me.
ReplyDeleteI really do love the word 'miffed'. hehe. And I always say "Marcy Marc" when I'm at work talking about Marc records. You'd have to be a librarian to get that last bit ;)
ReplyDelete