Comments on: Peak vs. Pique

By: Wally Ford

Wally Ford — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:25:15 +0000

Brianna: NO! That is just one of the definitions and not the most common. The most common (as one may guess from the topic of the post by Mr. Brockheimer. What do I do about my friend who is always commenting on my Facebook posts, but misspelling words or using improper grammar? What led me here was her misspelling of "piqued" (as "peaked"). I don't want to permanently hide her, but I don't want to embarrass her either. Wally

By: Brianna S.

Brianna S. — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:35:32 +0000

But Piqued means to cause resentment.

By: Joel Cunningham

Joel Cunningham — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:08:47 +0000

Okay, but what especially chaffs my hide is the high frequency of confusion between the proper spellings and usages of "led" versus "lead"!

By: Steve Probst

Steve Probst — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:18:27 +0000

Wasn't sure on this, piqued (practicing) my interest, so I Googled the word. There you were! Thanks.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:20:01 +0000

Here is one more set of language-misuse nails screeching down the chalkboard: "I'm nauseous." Nauseous means to cause nausea or sickening. Hence, when someone says "I'm nauseous" they are saying "I'm sickening" or "I make others have nausea." The correct term is "nauseated". Nauseated means to be feeling sick or experiencing nausea. Most people who say "I'm nauseous" pretty much are nauseating. Their attempt to be pretentious truly is sickening.

By: Str4y

Str4y — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:49:14 +0000

Thank you! I never know which one to use here and I'm always sure I'm wrong (turns out, I was, just like I thought). You helped make my scholarship essay more correct and I am grateful.

By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 23:05:51 +0000

Pique actually has a negative connoation in English usage. It means stimuate interest but irritably so. E.g., "Her curosity with the neighbors piqued when she realized the seagulls would prattle in their yard but not hers." "The truck driver's interest in the police cruiser piqued after it nearly cut him off racing for the next exit." You wouldn't say: "Her arousal piqued catching sight of the tall, handsome man with broad shoulders."----She wouldn't be irritated by that, would she.... But I think the creative use of the word Peak is acceptable.

By: Al

Al — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 18:40:38 +0000

I was also interested to find out in many places the terms homonym and homophone are now being used as synonyms... living language for sure.

By: mona

mona — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 04:08:00 +0000

oh boy....

By: Anna Erickson

Anna Erickson — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:10:11 +0000

The "could care less" used as synonymous to "couldn't care less" drives me crazy as well. But I guess language is constantly changing and a phrase means what people understand it to mean.