Revised as of
17 Oct 2022
Last night I read about a character with an acetic face, and I found myself wondering if his face had been pickled.
I’m sure the author meant that his face was severe looking, but hey, if they really want to go with acetic acid . . . that’s their choice. I did find myself craving a giant dill pickle, though.
I suspect the author meant ascetic, meaning the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
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.
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| Acetic | Ascetic |
|---|---|
Heinz White Vinegar by Mike Mozart is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Flickr. White vinegar is made up of 5% acetic acid. |
Japanese Buddhist Monk in the Arashiyama District is Marubatsu’s own work and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Monks are usually ascetics. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective; Noun
Plural for noun: ascetics |
| Commonly referred to as acetic acid
Of or like vinegar or acetic acid |
Adjective: Characterized by or suggesting the practice of severe self-discipline and abstention from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons Relating to asceticism, the doctrine that one can reach a high spiritual state through the practice of extreme self-denial or self-mortification Exceedingly strict or severe in religious exercises or self-mortification Noun: |
| Examples: | |
| “A pleasant effect of acetic acid is that it softens and lubricates the skin” (Engelmann).
Acetic acid is found in vinegar which can be used to adjust the level of acidity of food. If you want to pickle beets, cucumbers, watermelon rinds, etc., you’ll need acetic acid. |
Adjective: He led an ascetic life of prayer, fasting, and manual labor. It was one of those narrow, humorless, ascetic faces. No Internet, no cable . . . not even a cellphone! It was such an ascetic existence. Noun: Anyone who chooses to live without at least a cellphone must be an ascetic! He was an ascetic who preferred acetic foods. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: semiacetic, unacetic | Adjective: ascetical, nonascetic, nonascetical, preascetic Adverb: ascetically, nonascetically Noun: asceticism, nonascetic |
| History of the Word: | |
| Late 18th century from the French acétique, which is from the Latin acetum meaning vinegar. | Mid-17th century from the medieval Latin asceticus or the Greek askētikos, from askētēs meaning monk, which is from askein meaning to exercise. |
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 Acetic versus Ascetic
Apple Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com: acetic, ascetic
Engelmann, Dr F. “Acetic Acid as a Disinfectant.” Scientific American Supplement, no 711. Project Gutenberg EBook. 17 August 1889. Web. n.d. <https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16972/16972-h/16972-h.htm>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Pickle (background removed) was photographed by Renee Comet and is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons while the cropped Meditating Monk, <https://visualhunt.com/photo/73324/>, is by Ben Kerckx <https://visualhunt.com/p/ben_kercks/> under the CC0 1.0 license, via VisualHunt.
