Lately, I’ve been coming across a lot of text referring to someone playing an instrument, specifically, that they’re playing cords on a guitar. And, I suppose it is possible that just because a guitar has strings, that one could imagine that they were playing with the strings on the guitar.
I’ll just assume that they’re not making music since they are only futzing with the strings. Or, then again, maybe the character is brushing the guitar’s strings with corduroy fabric. Yeah, yeah, that’s it, they’re rubbing “cords” on the guitar’s strings. It’s a bit muffled, but, hey . . .
Now, if the character really wanted to play music, if they wanted people to assume they had some clue about what to do with those cords strung up on their eight- or twelve-string guitar, that, maybe, perhaps, they’d play some CHORDS. Ya know, like putting several fingers in specific areas on a guitar’s fret and then strumming the fingers of their other hand above the hole to produce a harmonious sound.
Of course, if they just wanna play with the cords . . . then surely no one will assume a cat is yowling in pain . . .
Be careful using cord as a verb. It seems as if it should be a noun when used as a verb, but has everything to do with binding or piling up. A tricky bugger, that one. And in another side note, chord and cord are heterographs.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore “Cord vs Cored” and “Core vs Corps vs Corpse“.
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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| Chord | Cord |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun 1, 2; Verb, intransitive (usually used as a noun) 1
Plural for the noun: chords Third person present verb: chords |
Noun; Verb, transitive
Plural for the noun: cords Third person present verb: cords |
| Noun: A group of typically three or more notes sounded together, as a basis of harmony 1 [Mathematics] Straight line joining the ends of an arc 2 [Aeronautics] Width of an airfoil from leading to trailing edge [Engineering] Each of the two principal members of a truss [Poetic/literary] String on a harp or other instrument [Anatomy] Variant spelling of cord, “spinal chord” Verb, intransitive: |
Noun: Long, thin, flexible string or rope made from several twisted strands
Length of such material, typically one used to fasten or move a specified object Ribbed fabric, especially corduroy
Any influence that binds or restrains A measure of cut wood, usually 128 cubic feet Verb, transitive: Furnish, bind, or connect with a length of string or rope Pile up (wood) in cords |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: It was a G major chord. The triumphal opening chords made us all sit up. What was that chord you used? Well, that certainly struck a chord! Dickens knew how to strike the right chord in the hearts of his readers. Verb, intransitive: The entire swing session is masterfully chorded by the Duke on piano. Havard Wiik’s piano is crucial throughout; his spare, unfussy chording recalls the economy of Monk or Herbie Nichols, while his solos are logical, melodic, and direct. |
Noun: Mom, I can’t find my dressing gown cord. He hung the picture using a length of cord. Do we have any more electrical cords? We’ll need several cords of wood for the winter. Has anyone seen my black cord jacket? The accident crushed his spinal cord. The baby was still attached to his mother by his umbilical cord. He was dressed in faded black cords. Verb, transitive: Plus, in instances when you need to carry larger gear, the bag can be removed, and gear can be bungee corded directly to the rack. We need a corded curtain track. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: chordal, chorded, chordotonal Noun: chordophone |
Adjective: corded, cordlike Noun: corder |
| History of the Word: | |
|
The first known use was in the 15th century.
Middle English, which evolved from the Old French corde, which evolved from the Latin chorda, which itself evolved from the Greek khordē meaning gut, string of a musical instrument. |
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 Chord versus Cord
Apple Dictionary.com
Merriam Webster: cording
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Hughes & Kettner Amps @ FUZZ Guitar Show 2009 by Karl Jonsson from Göteborg, Sweden, uploaded by Guitarpop under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 9 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie