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PRESENTLY/CURRENTLY Some argue that “presently” doesn’t mean “in the present.” It means "soon.” If you want to talk about something that’s happening right now, they urge you to say it’s

PRESCRIBE/PROSCRIBE

You recommend something when you prescribe it, but you forbid it when you proscribe it The usually positive function of “pro-” confuses many people

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PRESENTLY/CURRENTLY

Some argue that “presently” doesn’t mean “in the present.” It means "soon.” If you want to talk about something that’s happening right now, they urge you to say it’s going on currently

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PRETTY

SOMEWHAT

It’s pretty common to use “pretty” to mean “somewhat” in ordinary speech; but it should be avoided in formal writing, where sometimes "very” is more appropriate The temptation to use “pretty” usually indicates the writer is being vague, so changing to something more specific may be an even better solution: “a pretty bad mess” might be “chocolate syrup spilled all over the pizza which had been dumped upside down on the carpet.”

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PRIMER

When this word is used in the U.S to mean “elementary textbook” it is pronounced with a short “I”:

“primmer” (rhymes with “dimmer” ) All other meanings are pronounced with a long “I":

“prymer” (rhymes with “timer” )

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PRINCIPAL/PRINCIPLE

Generations of teachers have tried to drill this one into students’ heads by reminding them, “The principal is your pal.” Many don’t seem convinced “Principal” is a noun and adjective referring to someone or something which is highest in rank or importance (In a loan, the principal is the more substantial part of the money, the interest is—or should be—the lesser.) “Principle” is only a noun, and has to do with law or doctrine: “The workers fought hard for the principle of collective

bargaining.”

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PRIORITIZE

MAKE A PRIORITY

Many people disdain “prioritize” as bureaucratic jargon for “rank” or “make a priority.”

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PRIORITY

It is common to proclaim “in our business, customer service is a priority,” but it would be better to say “a high priority,” since priorities can also be low

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REACTIONARY/REACTIVE

Many people incorrectly use “reactionary” to mean “acting in response to some outside stimulus.”

That’s reactive “Reactionary” actually has a very narrow meaning; it is a noun or adjective

describing a form of looking backward that goes beyond conservatism (wanting to prevent change

and maintain present conditions) to reaction—wanting to recreate a lost past The advocates of restoring Czarist rule in Russia are reactionaries While we’re on the subject, the term “proactive”

formed by analogy with “reactive” seems superfluous to many of us Use “active,” “assertive,” or

“positive” whenever you can instead

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PROBABLY

The two Bs in this word are particularly difficult to pronounce in sequence, so the word often comes out as “probly” and is even occasionally misspelled that way When even the last B disappears, the

pronunciation “prolly” suggests drunken slurring or, at best, an attempt at humor

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prodigy, progeny, protégé

PRODIGY/PROGENY/PROTÉGÉ

Your progeny are your kids, though it would be pretty pretentious to refer to them as such If your child is a brilliantly outstanding person he or she may be a child prodigy In fact, anything amazingly admirable can be a prodigy But a person that you take under your wing in order to help promote his

or her career is your protégé

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PRONE/SUPINE

“Prone” (face down) is often confused with “supine” (face up) “Prostrate” technically also means

“face down,” but is most often used to mean simply “devastated.”

See also “prostate/prostrate.”

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file:///C|/Temp/livres/commonerrors/errors/prone.html03/09/2005 15:39:30