Revised as of 25 June 2021
This is another of those word confusions I don’t come across too often, but when I do, it’s definitely sigh-worthy. Although, maybe the author is confusing the hairy, unwashed aspects of guerrillas with gorillas??? Poor gorillas…LOL
Of course, gorilla has been used as a type of shorthand to quickly describe a big, violent-looking man without much brainpower.
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 noir for you from either end.
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| Gorilla | Guerilla |
|---|---|
Western Lowland Gorilla is Ltshears’ own work and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Soviet Guerilla, Belarus, 1943, by Stanisweb17 is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons and courtesy of the Russian State Archive. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun Plural: gorillas |
Adjective; Noun Plural: guerillas, guerrillas Alternative spelling: guerrilla |
| Powerfully built ape with a large head and short neck, found in the forests of central Africa
[Informal] Heavily built, aggressive-looking man |
Adjective: Used to describe a type of warfare Noun: |
| Examples: | |
| There are three races of the gorilla family: two lowland and the mountain gorilla.
Nash only ever employs gorillas on his security teams. |
Adjective: It’s guerilla tactics. I like the idea of guerilla gardening, as it makes good use of and brightens up empty space. One of the primary reasons the United States won the Revolutionary War was their use of guerilla warfare against the British. Noun: |
| History of the Word: | |
| Allegedly from an Africa word for a wild or hairy person from the 5th or 6th century BC.
In 1847, it was adopted as the specific name of the ape. |
A diminutive which arose with the Peninsular War of 1808-1814 and is from the Spanish guerra. |
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 more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Gorilla versus Guerilla
Apple Dictionary.com.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Guerilla / Gorilla by Kristina McKay and Derek Ruiz and courtesy of Guerilla Art.
