Revised as of
22 Oct 2022
I recently ran across this confusion in an historical mystery and it bothered me. I always thought one bailed out of a plane; I’m not sure why the author thought throwing bales of hay out the plane would work if it left the heroine on board.
It’s odd how one’s mind can play tricks on one . . .
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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Bail | Bale |
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Part of Grammar: | |
Noun 1, 2; Verb 3, intransitive & transitive 1 Plural for the noun: bail Third person present verb: bails |
Noun 1, 2; Verb, transitive 1
Plural for the noun: bales Third person present verb: bales British alternate spelling for bail |
Noun: Temporary release of an accused person awaiting trial, sometimes on condition that a sum of money be lodged to guarantee their appearance in court 1
A bar that holds something in place, in particular 2:
An arched handle, such as on a bucket or a teapot [Usually bails; Cricket] Either of the two crosspieces bridging the stumps, which the bowler and fielders try to dislodge with the ball to get the batsman out Verb, intransitive:
Verb, transitive: Release or secure the release of a prisoner on payment of bail 1 Scoop water out of a ship or boat 3 |
Noun: A bundle of paper, hay, cotton, etc., tightly wrapped and bound with cords or hoops 1
[Archaic or literary] Evil considered as a destructive force 2
A group of turtles Verb, transitive: |
Examples: | |
Noun: Will George stand my bail? He has been released on bail. The jerk jumped bail and his mother will lose her house. The chest has drawers fitted with brass bail handles. Verb, intransitive: He looks a little like the guy who bailed on me. Verb, transitive: His son called home to get bailed out of jail. The first priority is to bail out the boat with buckets. I started to use my hands to bail out the water. He bailed out of the stalled plane. |
Noun: Heft that bale of hay. Lift that barge, tote that bale. The fire destroyed 500 bales of hay. Most baling and field work have been finished. We’ll have to get the baling done before the storms strike. She brought tidings of bale. “Relieve my spirit from the bale that bows it down” – Benjamin Disraeli. Verb, transitive: They baled a lot of good hay. |
Derivatives: | |
Adjective: bailable Noun: bailer, bailout |
Adjective: baleful, baleless Adverb: balefully Noun: balefulness, baler, baling |
Phrasal Verb | |
bail out bail someone out bail something out |
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History of the Word: | |
Late Middle English, 1375–1425
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Middle English, 1350–1400
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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 Bail versus Bale
Apple Dictionary.com
Online Etymology Dictionary: bail
Pinterest Photo Credits:
The 720th Special Tactics Group of Airmen Jump was photographed by Senior Airman Julianne Showalter and is in the public domain. “All-American Bale Out” was photographed by Ildar Sagdejev under the Free Content license. Both are via Wikimedia Commons.
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