Peruse means to examine or to read closely or casually. What do you think peruse means? Would you say that it’s a superficial activity…

Sacrilegious means disrespectful of something sacred. There are two pronunciations of sacrilegious. The older pronunciation, sak-ruh-LEE-juss, is closer to the spelling of the word, but…

“Nerve-racking” is the original and correct spelling of this phrase, which describes something that makes you extremely nervous. “Nerve-wracking” is a widely-used and well-established variant…

Presumptuous describes someone who oversteps the limits of courtesy or politeness. Presumptive is a different word. It describes something that is expected to happen or…

Somber is an adjective we use to describe dark and shadowy things. It can describe someone’s mood, a color, the weather, or the general atmosphere.

Autumnal refers to things that are suggestive of autumn. Few sights are more beautiful than trees with brilliant foliage—bold reds, yellows, oranges, and browns. It’s…

You look at your bookshelf, hoping for inspiration. Sadly, you’ve read all the paperbacks on your shelf, and the next installment of your favorite series…

Anyone can talk like a fictional pirate from a book or movie. One “Arr, matey,” and everyone knows who you are attempting to impersonate. But…

Fourty is a very common misspelling, but it’s still a misspelling. The correct spelling of this number is always forty. For is as a preposition…