At the risk of sounding like the celebrity who did not know whether “Chicken of the Sea”-brand tuna was chicken or fish, today’s post is not a deep exploration into grammar but instead is a simple review of the definitions of two food words that sound somewhat alike and are spelled almost identically.

Problem:
The distinction between “scallion” and “scallop” has been a long-time problem for me, probably because I don’t eat one and rarely eat the other.

Explanation:
A “scallion” — spelled S-C-A-L-L-I-O-N — is a leek, a shallot, or any green onion. The noun “scallion” dates back to the early fourteenth century and is named after the onion of Ascalon — spelled A-S-C-A-L-O-N — which is a seaport of Palestine.

A “scallop” — spelled S-C-A-L-L-O-P — is a bivalve molusk that swims by clapping its shell valves together. The noun “scallop” dates back to the late fourteenth century and is related to the word for a thin slice of meat.

Solution:
Think “onion” when seeing the noun “scallion” with the mnemonic that both words end in I-O-N. Think seafood when seeing the noun “scallop” with the mnemonic that it does NOT rhyme with the word “onion” and therefore is NOT an onion.