I've seen this usage error many times, but after spotting it recently on the website for a Nashville TV station, I decided it was time to tackle this subject on the grammar blog. 

Here is the egregious sentence:

"Possessions should never be covered with coats or towels as they only serve to peak the curiosity of thieves."

Peak, peek and pique are three words that sound the same but have vastly different meanings (homophones). In the case of these "P" words, if you aren't careful, you'll choose the wrong one. Let's run down the definitions for each to help you keep them straight.

A peak is something with a point, like a mountain peak or the peaks that form on a meringue. 

Peek is sneaking a look at something. 

Pique is to arouse interest, as in piquing someone's curiosity.

A memory aid for this one is a little tough, as the connections are counterintuitive. It would be easy to point out a connection between sneak and peak, but that's the wrong meaning. For peak, I suggest thinking of a capital A in peak to represent a mountain peak. For peek, I recommend thinking of the double e's in peek and see. I think pique is the toughest one for most writers because of its French derivation. It looks like it would be pronounced "pee-kay, "pee-Q" or even "pick." Because it's a little different, I think that's why folks often err toward using the more common-looking choices of peak and peek. When it comes to pique, try to think of a curious Frenchman looking inquisitive. (Inquisitive even has the "qu" letter combination.) 

That's it. Just remember a mountain peAk, sEE and pEEk and a curious Frenchman. 

Do you have a memory aid for distinguishing between peak, peek and pique? Did you know the different meanings for these words? (No shame or embarrassment here if you didn't!) Please share your thoughts in the Comments below.

The abbreviations i.e. and e.g. are frequently misused and misunderstood. Here's an explanation of what they mean and a memory aid to help you use them correctly.

I.E.
I.e. is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase id est, which translated means that is. My easy memory tool is to equate "that is" with "in other words." I associate the "i" of i.e. with "in," to help me remember its meaning. If you can substitute "that is" or "in other words" for i.e. in your sentence, then you've made the right choice. 

Examples
I will spend the weekend engaged in my favorite activity, i.e., reading a book.

I will spend the weekend engaged in my favorite activity, that is, reading a book.

I will spend the weekend engaged in my favorite activity, in other words, reading a book.

E.G.
The abbreviation e.g. is Latin for exempli gratia, which means "for example" or "example given." My memory aid is to remember the "e" for example. In fact, I even think of it as eggs-ample, further playing on the "eg" letters.

Examples
Mary likes to grow salad fixings in her garden, e.g., spinach, lettuce, radishes and tomatoes.

Mary likes to grow salad fixings in her garden, for example, spinach, lettuce, radishes and tomatoes.

If you can remember "i" for "in" and "e" for "example," you should be able to easily distinguish between this pair of word teasers. In fact, if you can just remember one, you know the other by default.

For American English users, remember that i.e. and e.g. are set off with commas. It is also acceptable to precede these abbreviations with a semicolon instead of a comma.

Have you had issues distinguishing between i.e. and e.g.? Do you have a memory aid to help you remember the difference? Please share your thoughts in the comments. And if you have a grammar question, please share it here. 

The proper use of who and whom is a grammar issue that stymies many writers and speakers. While some grammar pundits have called for doing away with whom altogether, I think it's a valid word that we just need to learn how to use properly. The good news is, with a few simple memory aids, it's easy to determine which of these subjective pronouns is the right choice in your sentence.

Whom/Him, Who/He
The whom/him memory tool helps you determine the right word choice by either rearranging the sentence or answering the question posed by it. If the answer/restatement includes him (or her), the correct choice is whom. (Because it's easy to remember that both him and whom end with m, I generally focus on the male pronoun.) If the resulting pronoun in your test is he (or she), then the correct choice is who.

Examples:
For whom are you making that pie?
I am making this pie for him (or her).

Steve was the student whom the teacher liked best.
The teacher liked him best.

Who is going with you to the movies?
He (she) is going with me with the movies.

Do you know who is coming to dinner?
He is coming to dinner.

Who is a subject. Whom is an object.
You'll sometimes come across a tricky sentence where the whom/him rule will trip you up. If the sentence has more than one clause, sometimes rephrasing it will lead you to make the wrong choice. In these cases, it's helpful to understand that who is always the subject in a clause and whom is always the object. As the subject, who is acting or doing something. As the object, whom is always the object of the action, having something done to it or for it. 

If you keep these two rules in mind, it's much easier to make the right choice.

Do you struggle with who and whom? Did this post help? Do you have examples to put to the test? Please share your thoughts or questions in the comments.

One of my faithful blog readers (thanks, Rick!) recently wrote in to ask the following:

Is "quote" a verb? Must "quotation" always be used when referring to the actual words quoted?"

The answer to that question depends on whom you ask. This is one of those thorny language issues that grammarians do not agree on. Some linguists cry foul, because they view it a solecism to use quote as a noun. Here's my take:

Historical use: quote & quotation
While the word quote has been used as a verb (Can I quote you on that?) since the 1500s, my research indicates its use as a noun (I need a pithy quote for my newspaper story.) dates as far back as the late 1880s. Even though quote has become a colloquialism synonymous with quotation, some linguists insist that quotation is the only acceptable noun form. As a moderate descriptivist, I'm all for using quote as a noun. I believe that language evolves and, in most cases, we should not impede that evolution. 

What about rules?
I am not advocating that we throw out grammar and writing rules with reckless abandon (and don't even get me started on those "rules" that aren't really rules at all.) I am not saying that "anything goes" when it comes to language. In fact, I am a staunch supporter of adhering to the rules — the "real" rules. Some wordsmiths have suggested that we do away with the use of whom. I would argue that just because many of us don't know when to use whom instead of who is no reason to abandon a perfectly good word; we simply need to learn the difference between the two. (That's a post for another day.) 

Not all black & white
The more I study language and grammar, the more I realize there are many gray areas in the world of words. We may desire the comfort of rules to always tell us we've written (or spoken) something correctly, but the truth is that not everyone agrees on what's right and what's wrong. (Who would have thought grammar could be so much like politics and religion?) 

What to do?
So, dear reader, if you want to use quote as a noun, I say go for it. Just be advised that prescriptivists out there may correct you (and judge you). Of course, now you have a ready answer to refute their pedantic protestations. (Yes, I love alliteration.) And while you're at it, you might even want to split a few infinitives, start a sentence with a conjunction or end one with a preposition. Just please don't dangle any modifiers; that is a solecism up with which I will not put. 

What are your thoughts on using quote as a noun? Lively debate is welcome; incivility is not. Share your thoughts in the Comments below. If you have a writing, grammar or language question, please share it here for consideration on this blog.

This word (mis)usage has become one of my top pet peeves. The shelf over your fireplace? That's a mantel. For years I've been pained by those TV and print commercials touting the craftsmanship of fireplace "mantles" made by members of the Amish community. (No disrespect to the Amish. I just trust they know more about making mantels than spelling them.)

Mantle and mantel are homophones; they sound the same but have different meanings. Let's take a quick at what they mean and attempt to remember the difference with a memory aid.

Mantle refers to either a literal garment or a figurative cloak of authority (like wearing a mantle of leadership). It can also refer to something that covers something else or to the inner core of the Earth found below its crust.

A mantel is the shelf that sits above a fireplace.

I've racked my brain (yes, it's racked, not wracked) trying to devise a memory aid to help writers remember the difference between these two words. Here's what I've come up with:

mantel — el, remember it's elevated above the fireplace.  

mantle — I couldn't think of a very good mnemonic for this one. My suggestion: Imagine you are at a party and  put on your coat to leave early. This should help you to remember that a mantle is (by one definition) a cloak or garment. At any rate, it may be sufficient to simply learn the first one and remember the other meanings all apply to mantle.

Have you been tripped up by these two words? Do you have a better memory aid to share for remembering the difference between them? Are you troubled by other homophones? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.

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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. 

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