Month: August 2008

“Is there anyway to create a clone …”

Adverbs

I saw this at a software-development online forum.

Problem:
The single word “anyway” is incorrect in this sentence.

Explanation:
The question appeared at an online forum for software developers. The forum participant was asking about creating a clone of a Microsoft Excel worksheet using Visual Basic for Applications.

The single word “anyway” is an adverb that means regardless or in any case.

An example of the proper use of the adverb “anyway” is “Even if you do not like it, I am going to Galveston anyway.”

If we replace the adverb “anyway” in what I saw online with the adverb’s definition, then we get “Is there regardless to create a clone …” — clearly showing that the adverb “anyway” does not belong in the forum participant’s sentence (at least not where he put it).

The forum participant was actually asking whether there was a method or way to create a clone. This gives us the solution.

Solution:
“Is there any way to create a clone …”

“MAKE IT SEEMLESS!”

Adjectives, Misspellings

I saw this in a message from a supervisor to other employees.

Problem:
The word “seemless” — spelled S-E-E-M-L-E-S-S — is nonsensical.

Explanation:
The supervisor was trying to tell the other employees that customer care should be smooth — that effectively it should have no seams — spelled S-E-A-M-S — for the customer.

That gives us the solution.

For fun, I searched Google for each of the following words (without the quotation marks) and got about the indicated numbers of matches:

  • “seamless” — spelled S-E-A-M-L-E-S-S — 33,600,000 matches
  • “seemless” — spelled S-E-E-M-L-E-S-S — 794,000 matches

This tells me that Web authors favor the correctly spelled “seamless” over the misspelled “seemless” by a ratio of 42.3:1 — good, but not great, especially given the nearly one million matches for the misspelled word.

Solution:
“MAKE IT SEAMLESS!”

“Simular” vs. “Similar”

Adjectives, Mispronunciations, Misspellings, Verbs, Versus

My wife heard the first word used several times yesterday as a synonym of the second word, and I once worked for someone who regularly made the same mistake.

Problem:
These two words are not synonyms.

Explanation:
The word “simular” — spelled S-I-M-U-L-A-R — dates back to the early 1500s.

The meaning of “simular” as a noun is pretender. The primary meaning of “simular” as an adjective is simulated or counterfeit.

A valid example of the use of “simular” as an adjective would be “Pleather is simular leather.”

The word “similar” — spelled S-I-M-I-L-A-R — dates back to the early 1600s, is only an adjective, and primarily means having a resemblance or likeness.

A valid example of the use of “similar” as an adjective would be “The two automobiles in the parking lot were so similar that John tried to unlock the wrong one.”

I believe that some people mispronounce and/or misspell the adjective “similar” — spelled S-I-M-I-L-A-R — as “simular” — spelled S-I-M-U-L-A-R — because of interference from the verb “simulate”, which does have the vowel “u” in the middle of it.

I doubt that most users of “simular” — with a “u” in the middle — know its true meaning.

Solution:
Use the adjective “simular” when referring to something that is false or simulated or counterfeit. Use the adjective “similar” when referring to a likeness or resemblance.