The Language Perfectionist: A Caucus of Confusables

By Don Hauptman

It's time once again to set the record straight on pairs of words that are commonly confused. Here are examples from print and online sources:

• "The number had been cut before the premier of the film."

A gala event is a premiere. The adjective meaning first is premier.

• "Mr. Heiberger said his new company would provide brokers with a network of consultants - from a concierge service for brokers and their clients to legal services and social-networking advise."

The noun, intended here, is advice; the verb is advise.

• "This particular corner, where Canal Street meets West Street and the Hudson River, is one of the more honorific and important intersections in New York City."

An honorific is a title of respect or a salutation, such as Mister or Doctor. The word presumably wanted in this context (though perhaps with some exaggeration) is honored.

• "The 19th-century philosopher John Stuart Mill... barely survived a 'tiger father' who enforced a regimen of ruthless discipline and learning that would make [author Amy] Chua blanche."

The verb blanch means to turn pale; Blanche is a woman's name.