Sunday, December 27, 2015

Stalking & Stocking

These two don't sound quite the same, at least in my ears. But they're pretty close, and they were my son's suggestion. So I've been saving them for the holiday season, y'know? ;)

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Flew, Flu, Flue

Trying my darndest to come up with a bird flu / bird flew joke here, but I just can't pin one down. Maybe you can? Leave it in the comments!

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Tort & Torte

Our lawyer dude is back again, this time with some sort of legal injunction against the deliciousness of Thanksgiving! That does it, he's not invited back.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Root & Route

Root – (n.) The portion of a plant that anchors it to its surroundings and absorbs nutrients. (v.) Cheer.
Route – (n.) Path, direction.
Why do carrot farmers get lost in beet fields? Because they can't find their root.
...Meh, that joke sorta works.

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Close & Clothes

I suppose, technically, these two words aren't supposed to be pronounced the same. But where I come from, they most certainly are.

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Currant & Current

With an A – a type of berry.
With an E – (n) a flow of water or electricity. (adj.) belonging to the present time.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Gait & Gate

Gait – a style or manner of walking.
Gate – an opening or doorway in a fence.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Cite, Sight, Site

Getting tired of seeing that book yet? :) Just wait till I start reusing the map!

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Addition & Edition

I ran across a really rare math textbook recently. It was a first addition.
Yuk yuk yuk.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Hart & Heart

Hart is a pretty obsolete word for a stag, so I almost didn't do this one. But since I already had the deer drawn, there was really no reason NOT to include it.

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Hostel & Hostile

Yes, I'm aware that Hostile can be pronounced with the long I sound instead, if you prefer. Either way, I think we all know who ends up with top bunk here.

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Lean & Lien

Our legal friend is back, apparently with some kind of claim against the leaning tower of Pisa. Good luck with that. I don't think this is the last we'll see of him, though.
(edit 8/29/15) Looks like I forgot to include the description of Lean as in "thin." I suppose the fact that the tower is a pretty thin building will have to suffice. Works for me.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Chile, Chili, Chilly

OK, I'm not trying to be misleading here, but this – like most things – is complicated. Chile, with an E, is what we call a hot pepper. That's the only definition for that spelling. However, chile is an alternate spelling of chili, with an I, which can mean the same thing. But chili with an I is also what we call the meat/beans meal often made with chiles. Make sense? To sum up:
Chile always means pepper.
The meal is always spelled chili.
Chili can also mean pepper. (That's why I decorated the bowl with chilis in the pic.)
Chilly, y'know, just means cold.
And Chile is a country in South America, which I'm not including here because I don't do proper nouns, and half the people I know pronounce it CHEE-lay anyway.


Sunday, July 26, 2015

Gorilla & Guerilla

My all-time favorite homophone! I remember giggling about this in junior high with my friend Abe so much that we got in trouble with a librarian. :)
I suppose, looking back, it's not that funny, really. It's also a lazy anglicization of a Spanish word, so you could make the argument that these really aren't homophones at all. If you wanted to be that way.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Tortuous & Torturous

These two are NOT homophones. But they're also NOT THE SAME WORD! That second R makes quite a difference, people. I'll admit that solving a maze might feel like torture, but the route through a maze is not Torturous, it's Tortuous – winding, circuitous, complicated.

Sunday, July 12, 2015

Sunday, July 5, 2015

Sunday, June 7, 2015

Foreword & Forward

Totally cribbing Afterward/Afterword for this one. Not even ashamed about it.
No, I mean I'm "keeping the blog's imagery consistent"!!! No shame in that!!!

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Review & Revue

-iew – examine, evaluate.
-ue – a theatrical performance.
It's not a stretch to say that you can review a revue.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Stair & Stare

Why did the celebrity have a private elevator installed? Because they didn't like the stares.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Ensure & Insure

This one's a little tough. Ensure and Insure are so close in meaning that some definitions seem to list them as synonyms. But others, not quite. There seems to be a slight difference, at least in tone. If I had to explain it, I'd say that the significant difference seems to be:

When you use it with an E, you mean you're taking an active role in preventing harm, loss, or damage from occurring. An ounce of prevention.

When you use it with an I, you mean you're agreeing to documentation stating that should harm, loss, or damage occur, you will be compensated for it. A pound of cure.

I've been seeing them used interchangeably a lot lately, and it could be that the meanings are shifting, and one day we won't have both spellings anymore. But I don't think we're there just yet, and I guess I'm here advocating for their uniqueness. Like a sentimental schmuck.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Dear & Deer

With an A – precious, sentimental, beloved.
With two Es – Bambi, Rudolph, House Baratheon.

Sunday, April 12, 2015

Humerus & Humorous

"Why did I laugh when you broke your arm? Because it was humerus!"
This is one of my all-time favorite homophones. Can't believe it took me so long to get to it.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Choral & Coral

With an H – referring to a choir.
Without an H – a type of marine invertebrate.


Sunday, March 29, 2015

Lam & Lamb

Why are police on the lookout for wool?
Because it's always on the lamb!
Mm-hm.

Sunday, March 15, 2015

Chased & Chaste

Why did Pac-Man make out with the ghost? 
Because he was tired of being chaste.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Graham & Gram

How much does a s'more weigh?
Two grahams.

Gawd, I could keep this up all year... :)

Sunday, February 22, 2015

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Waive & Wave

Once I got a parking ticket on my surfboard.
No way! Did you pay it?
Nah, I had it waved.

Thank you, thank you, you're too kind.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Allowed & Aloud

Why couldn't the priest lead a silent prayer? Because it wasn't aloud.
Ba dum bum.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Grimaced & Grimmest

Grimaced – (v.) past tense of Grimace, an expression of displeasure.
Grimmest – (adj.) the most grim.
So, yes, maybe I grimaced because I was the grimmest.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

Breach & Breech

With an A – (v.) break through from one area into another.
With an E – (n.) hind section of an object or animal.