Here’s another writing pet peeve — when folks confuse peak (or peek), and pique. Here’s an example of proper usage: I live in Denver, Colorado, so I have a lovely view of the mountain peaks when I look to the West, but my interest is piqued when I find a good book about world history.
Instead, what I see most commonly is “this really peaked my interest,” or “I thought this would peek your interest.”
This doesn’t trouble me too much when I see it on blogs, mailing lists, and so forth. I’m used to seeing language atrocities there… but it’s just a different story when it’s something from a communications professional, i.e., from a PR person.
10 Comments
I wasn’t aware of this one, thanks!
Tristan: probably because you didn’t have an anal retentive step mother who busted you on it when you were 12.
Speaking of American vocab, what’s up with “glib?” You hear it everywhere these days.
Thanks for this one; I almost wrote “peaked my interest” on a very important application!
haha, for me it was the opposite! just wrote it in a sentence before and spelt it right…but then i wasn’t sure if i’d spelt it right and thought it might be peeked/peaked!
iv said that something has “piqued my interest” quite a number of times, but iv never really had to spell it!
FYI–Spelt is not a word–it is spelled. Yikes!
Also, Saz… “iv” isn’t a word. Not unless you’re referring to a needle in your skin. But that would be “I.V.” at any rate. I think you meant to use “I’ve”, as in the conjunction of “I” and “have”.
As long as the red pen is out: Spelt is a word (the name of a grain), but it is not used in the proper context.
Everyone–SPELT is British English past of spell. Please let’s not forget that the Internet is an international stage. Unless you know FOR CERTAIN that the person using ’spelt’ isn’t British–or from any other country that prefers BE to AE–then don’t correct them on variant spelling.
Same goes for:
burnt OR burned
dreamt OR dreamed
leant OR leaned
learnt OR learned
smelt OR smelled
spilt OR spilled
spoilt OR spoiled
If you see one of these forms, you’d do well to think before you speak.
Re: “glib,” perhaps its prevalence is due to more and more people behaving in a glib manner these days… ; )
Well done Zonker for pointing out the difference between pique and peak. It drives me nuts when I see someone write “it peaked my interest”. I’m sorry to say it does seem to be Americans who get it wrong more often than other English speakers.
Well done also Brandon for pointing out that past tense versions such as spelt, burnt, dreamt etc. are perfectly correct in British English.
One other error that drives me nuts is when I see someone write “I could care less” when they mean “I couldn’t care less” or “I could not care less”. “I could care less” doesn’t make sense in the context in which they’re using it! If you could care less, then you’re communicating that you do in fact care, quite the reverse of what those who use this phrase incorrectly are intending to communicate!
Post a Comment