Ooh, yeah, I’d love ta git me some access to an excess!
Just like kids would love I B to those cookies in the cookie jar, or an unhappy woman might want an excess of Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.
I reckon one might consider that, while we don’t have an excess of accessible ramps for the handicapped, the availability of this access is improving.
Exploring Later . . .
You may also want to explore “Access versus Assess” and “Access versus Accession“.
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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| Access | Excess |
|---|---|
 — |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective 1; Noun 1, 2; Verb, transitive 1 Plural for the noun: accesses Third person present verb: accesses |
Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: excesses |
| Adjective: Denoting noncommercial broadcasting produced by local independent groups, rather than by professionals 1 Noun: Right or opportunity to approach or see someone Action or process of obtaining or retrieving information stored in a computer’s memory Condition of being able to be reached or obtained [Singular noun] Attack or outburst of an emotion Means of approaching or entering a place 2 Verb: [Computing] Obtain, examine, or retrieve data or a file 1 Approach or enter a place Gain the right or opportunity to use or benefit from something |
Adjective: Exceeding a prescribed or desirable amount Noun: Amount by which one quantity or number exceeds another Lack of moderation in an activity, especially eating or drinking [Plural noun] Outrageous or immoderate behavior Action of exceeding a permitted limit |
| Examples: | |
| Adjective: PBS is public-access television. Noun: I’ll need access to the security tapes. Since the divorce, his grandparents have been denied access. Verb: This hotel has private beach access. |
Adjective: I’d like to get rid of my excess fat. In an excess of hatred, he threw his Nintendo through the TV screen. Noun: There was an excess of imports over exports which affects the debt ratio. Hangovers usually result from an excess of alcohol. The worst excesses of the 1960s were free love and drugs. |
| History of the Word: | |
|
Late Middle English from the Old French, which is, in turn, from the Latin excessus from excedere meaning go out, surpass. |
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 Access versus Excess
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Seattle – Pie-eating Contest, 2003 was uploaded by Jmabel from Seattle Municipal Archives from Seattle, Washington, under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 1 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie
