Nouns

“Wood” vs. “Wooden”

Adjectives, Nouns, Versus

I wondered the other day whether both of these words are adjectives.

Problem:
One of them looks more like an adjective than the other one does.

Explanation:
The primary definition of “wood” as an adjective is made of wood.

The primary definition of the adjective “wooden” is made of wood.

The secondary definition of “wood” as an adjective is wooden.

The secondary definition of the adjective “wooden” is wood.

In other words, “wood” as an adjective is interchangeable with “wooden”, despite the fact that “wooden” looks more like an adjective than does “wood” (which also is a noun).

Solution:
Don’t worry about which word to use as an adjective; they mean the same thing.

“Avalanche” vs. “Landslide”

Common English Blunders, Nouns, Versus

I often hear these words treated as if they were interchangeable.

Problem:
The nouns “avalanche” and “landslide” are not synonyms.

Explanation:
The noun “avalanche” means a large mass of snow, rocks, or debris suddenly detaching from a mountainside and then falling or sliding down.

The noun “landslide” means a mountainside falling or sliding down.

Winter sports enthusiasts have to watch out for avalanches, whereas many people in California suffer from landslides.

“Avalanche” should make one think of individual items coming down a mountainside. “Landslide” should make one think of the entire mountainside coming down.

If one were on a mountain during an avalanche, one might be able to stay put with little or no damage. If one were on a mountain during a landslide, one definitely would move with the mountainside.

Solution:
Use “avalanche” when referring to something coming down a mountainside. Use “landslide” when referring to the entire mountainside detaching and coming down.

“FIRE FIGHTING EQUIPMENT”

Common English Blunders, Hyphens, Nouns

I saw this on a sign in an office-building stairwell.

Problem:
A hyphen is missing.

Explanation:
When a noun plus a noun modify a third noun, the first and second nouns must be joined with a hyphen to form the modifier of the third noun.

So the first noun “FIRE” plus the second noun “FIGHTING” must be joined with a hyphen to form the modifier of the third noun “EQUIPMENT”.

Unfortunately, many sign makers drop hyphens because they believe that hyphens are unnecessary or make signs less attractive.

Although this isn’t the best example, there are many examples where the absence of a required hyphen leads to confusion and double- or triple-pass reading of a sign to understand what the sign writer meant.

Solution:
“FIRE-FIGHTING EQUIPMENT”