In the confusing words department, I have today one that is rather common and one that is rather rare. In the past two weeks, I have seen them both misused in very important circumstances-one in a book and the other in a law school application. Here is the first error:
"Even those who laud the effects of highly competitive markets are loathe to experience them personally." (I found this in The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli; for the record, the word was used correctly at least three other times.)
Here are the facts that will save you from this error:
Loathe is a verb: He loathes tuna fish sandwiches.
- They were loath to disclose their real identities after the embarrassing incident.
Pouring refers to a liquid. It is used incorrectly in the first example below and correctly in the second example.
- "Hours of pouring over Venezuelan legal documents to learn the basics of my internship as a paralegal in a language I did not yet know had drained all of my mental energy." (I found this while proofreading the final draft of a law school application.)
-
When I looked over at my nephew, he was pouring a boatload of gravy over his entire Thanksgiving plate.
Poring refers to reading or studying closely and attentively:
- Jason was poring over the captain's nautical charts, trying to learn his whereabouts.
Here are some final thoughts: If I said I loathe finding errors while poring over my books, I'd be lying. And I am not loath to point them out to the hapless writer. Don't let that writer be you!