Diane Hughes | @DianeWordsmith
  • Home
  • My Blogs
    • Musings on Life
    • The Write Stuff Blog
    • Ireland Travel Blog
    • Tread Light Adventure Travel
  • Resume
  • My Work
    • Writing Portfolio
    • Photo Gallery
  • Writing/Editing services
  • Contact

THE WRITE STUFF
Writing & Grammar Blog
 
DIANE HUGHES • NASHVILLE, TN
WRITER, EDITOR, CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL

Are you liable to libel someone?

5/1/2012

4 Comments

 
libel, liable
Do you know the difference between libel and liable? While reading a recent blog post, I found myself asking that question aloud to the author. The writer used the word libel when I'm pretty sure she meant liable. It's impossible to know, though, whether this was simply a typo or evidence of the writer's lack of vocabulary.

Liable means that you are responsible for something (as in legally liable to pay for a car accident) or likely to do something (as in being liable to spend too much money if you go shopping at the mall).

Libel is the act of writing or speaking about someone in a defamatory way that presents a false picture of that person and damages their reputation. (In other words, you lied and they suffered because of it.)

This is one of those typos that spellcheck won't catch. The spellchecker doesn't know which (perfectly legitimate) word you meant. That's why it's important to allow a little time between when you write and when you post. Let the copy sit for a while. Then go back and read through it with fresh eyes. You're more likely to see errors that way — errors that could turn away prospective readers of your work or buyers of your goods and services.

Do you confuse the meanings of words that sound the same? Do you know the difference in the meanings but find that you simply miss the mistake? Feel free to share your personal word demons in the Comments below. 

If you have a writing, grammar or language question, please share it for consideration. If you would like to have The Write Stuff delivered to your inbox, please submit your email address via the box in the sidebar.

Subscribe to The Write Stuff
4 Comments
Rick Jennings
5/2/2012 02:08:27 am

Too cool. I love the blog's new name; A great play on words and most fitting, considering your subject matter. So, if I were afraid of confusing words, as you mentioned... would that make me a homonym-a-phobic? :)

PS I love the typewriter looking font and "but I ran spellcheck" is what the Sport's Editor said at The News Examiner after he ran the donkey story.

Reply
Diane Hughes link
5/2/2012 05:17:18 am

I like that: homonym-a-phobic. Glad you like my use of Courier. It's not often that I find a use for it, but here it seems fitting. And didn't that donkey story result in a libel lawsuit?

Reply
rick Jennings
5/2/2012 10:35:00 am

Yes. The donkey story resulted in a million dollar libel payout AND my first real newspaper job. In early '97, I left Delta (air cargo). and in need of a job. When the news broke about the donkey libel, I said, "now there's a place with a job opening.' I went to Gallatin and applied for employment. The rest is history. ;-)

P.S. Ah Master, was my grammar acceptable in my comment? I was braving it with a semicolon, ellipsis and multi-dash made up word. lol

Reply
Diane Hughes link
5/2/2012 10:47:10 am

Well ... since you asked. It should be sports editor (not sport's). That's a post for another day!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    DIANE HUGHES

    I blog about grammar, style, punctuation & more

    Picture
         
          

    Subscribe by email.

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    Note: The Write Stuff has its own feed. If you already subscribe to Musings on Life, please sign up here to receive updates of The Write Stuff.
            
    Have a question?
    Having trouble with plurals and possessives? Got a bad case of misplaced commas? Not sure when to use a colon instead of a semicolon? Submit your question for consideration on the blog.
    Question?

    ARCHIVES

    April 2014
    February 2014
    November 2013
    January 2013
    September 2012
    August 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    December 2011

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Everyday Vs. Every Day
    Further Vs. Farther
    Grammar
    Homophones
    I.e. & E.g.
    Libel Vs Liable
    Myriad
    Peak/peek/pique
    Rein Or Reign
    Renown / Renowned
    Stationary Vs. Stationery
    Style
    Time Element
    Typos
    Who Vs Whom
    Word Usage
    Writing

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from warrenski, cheekycrows3, smbuckley23, Brett Jordan, fauxto_digit