Revised as of
23 Dec 2022
Ah, yessss, I have a roll to play here. Oops, that roll just crumbled, right after it hit the floor. I guess I must’a meant a role to play. That’ll teach me. I just hate having to do clean-up.
I could eat a role, as in to devour the character and really get deep into how I saw this character’s motivations — metaphysically. It would certainly nourish my soul — no, I don’t mean sole — but it wouldn’t do much nutrition-wise.
Hmmm, I suppose you could say that those dinner rolls won’t do much for me diet-wise anyway unless I picked up some sushi rolls! Yum!!
Of course there are those rolls which would ensure I got moving, forward naturally. But then again, if I got just the right role to play as an actor, it could also move my career forward. What is a writer to do?
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Role versus Roll” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| If we reverse the roles these words play . . . | |
|---|---|
| It was a case of role reversal.
Okay, this time you have to play the mom. |
It was a case of roll reversal.
Yeah, put that car in reverse and roll the other way! Although, the speaker could mean that you should turn the frosted cinnamon rolls right side up. No point leaving that yummy frosting on the plate! |
| I had a minor role in the play.
I played a maid, and it was the butler who did it! |
I had a minor roll in the play.
Yeah, I only fell down. Rick, however, had to fall down three flights of stairs. |
| Role with the punches
I played a boxer. |
Roll with the punches
It’s always going wrong for me, and I just have to accept it. |
Word Confusions . . .
. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.
If you found this post on “Role versus Roll” interesting, consider tweeting it to your friends. Subscribe to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Role | Roll |
|---|---|
The Proposal – When Women Vote, circa 1910, by Aussie~mobs is in the public domain, via Flickr. — A prime bit of role reversal. |
Philly Roll photographed by Quinn Dombrowski under license by CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: roles Alternate spelling: rôle |
Noun 1; Verb 2, intransitive & transitive
Plural for the noun: rolls Third person present verb: rolls |
An actor’s part in a play, movie, etc.
[Medical] The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual [Sociology] The rights, obligations, and expected behavior patterns associated with a particular social status A function or part performed especially in a particular operation or process |
Noun: A cylinder formed by winding flexible material around a tube or by turning it over and over on itself without folding 1
A movement in which someone or something turns or is turned over on itself
A prolonged, deep, reverberating sound, typically made by thunder or a drum
A very small loaf of bread, typically eaten with butter or a filling An official list or register of names A wheel for making decorative lines on book covers
Verb:
[Of words] Flow effortlessly or mellifluously To move across the ground or another surface by turning over and over Verb, intransitive:
[Of a vehicle] Move or run on wheels
Turn (something flexible) over and over on itself to form a cylinder, tube, or ball
[Of a loud, deep sound such as that of thunder or drums] Reverberate To move onward or around as if by completing a revolution
To move about To go forward in an easy, gentle, or undulating manner
To travel in a vehicle
To take the form of a cylinder or ball
To get under way
[Of a football quarterback; often used with out] To run toward one flank usually parallel to the line of scrimmage especially before throwing a pass Verb, transitive:
[Of a vehicle] Move or run on wheels
Turn (something flexible) over and over on itself to form a cylinder, tube, or ball
Flatten or spread (something) by using a cylinder or by passing it between cylinders To put a wrapping around
[Of a loud, deep sound such as that of thunder or drums] Reverberate
[Informal] Rob someone, typically when they are intoxicated or asleep) To press, spread, or level with a cylinder To combine so as to comprise one entity |
| Examples: | |
| Dietrich’s role was as a wife in war-torn Paris.
She greeted us all in her various roles of mother, friend, and daughter. Religion plays a vital role in society. He played a major role in the negotiations. |
Noun: We’re supposed to deliver a roll of carpet. The rolls of fat quivered in her stomach. Don’t forget to pack your jewelry roll. You want a roll of mints? He had this huge roll of bills. He won on a roll of the dice. Now do a forward roll. Drum roll, please. Which would you like, a sausage, cabbage, or yeast roll? I’m sorry. You’re not on the voter rolls. You can search the muster roll by a soldiers’ last name or a portion of the last name. The ponies completed two rolls before getting back on their feet. The car corners capably with a minimum of roll. Hidden by the roll of the land was a refinery. Verb: Verb, intransitive: The buffalo rolled in the dust. He was fairly rolling in money. Her eyes were rolling in terror Money was rolling in. The names roll off your tongue I loved looking out on the rolling prairie and watching a storm roll in. Last I heard, they were rolling north on the highway. The ship pitched and rolled. They were rolling about with laughter. The van was rolling along the highway. The cameras started to roll. The shock made the armadillo roll into a ball. The first peals of thunder rolled across the sky. The organization is on a roll. The team was rolling. Verb, transitive: They rolled him over onto his back. Sarah rolled her eyes. He rolled his Mercedes in a 100 mph crash. Roll a 2, 3, or 12. Pat rolled the cart back and forth. The years rolled by. Huge tears rolled down her cheeks. She rolled down the window. The first copies of the newspaper rolled off the presses. The fog rolled across the fields. Roll the camera. Roll out the cookie dough before using the cookie cutters. He rolled up the newspaper to swat the fly. He liked to roll his own cigarettes. Harry rolled himself a joint. When he wanted to emphasize a point, he rolled his rrrs. If you don’t get drunk, you don’t get rolled. It was a shopping center, amusement park, and nightclub all rolled into one. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: multirole Noun: role-playing |
Adjective: roll-on roll-off, rollable Noun: roll-in roll-out, roll-neck, roll-off, roll-on, rollaway, rollback, roller, rollerball, rollout, rollover, rolltop, roll-up Verb: rollback, rollerblade |
| Phrasal Verb | |
| roll something back roll in roll something out roll something over roll up roll something up |
|
| History of the Word: | |
| The first known use was in 1605.
Early 17th century, from the obsolete French roule, meaning roll, referring originally to the roll of paper on which the actor’s part was written. |
|
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Role versus Roll
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: role
Pinterest Photo Credits
Sunbeam Theatre House is Npsbeamt’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons and CVI Earth-to-Table Dinner Rolls, <https://visualhunt.com/f2/photo/5523890572/87aee173e3/>, by Edsel L is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license, via VisualHunt.
