I noticed “Sale versus Sell” was in the queue, and thought, ’tis the season . . . And since everyone is running around looking for sales, hoping that the people selling know their product, it seemed appropriate that the writers amongst us know their product as well.
Keep in mind that a sale and sell are not the same. The sale is a noun in which selling, a verb, is occurring.
So here’s hopin’ that y’all find some great sales and not have to sell anything to buy that special something for your loved ones this Christmas.
Exploring Later . . .
You may want to explore “Sail versus Sale“.
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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| Sale | Sell |
|---|---|
 |
 |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: sales |
Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: sells Third person present verb: sells |
| Exchange of a commodity for money
Action of selling something
An event for the rapid disposal of goods at reduced prices for a period, especially at the end of a season
|
Noun: [Informal] An act of selling or attempting to sell something [Informal] A disappointment, typically one arising from being deceived as to the merits of something [Stock Exchange] A security to be sold [Informal] A cheat
Verb, intransitive:
Verb, transitive:
Persuade someone of the merits of
[Archaic] Trick or deceive someone |
| Examples: | |
| We withdrew it from sale.
The sale has fallen through. Price cuts failed to boost sales. John got promoted to director of sales and marketing. It was a clearance sale to end all sales. On sale now! Tickets go on sale next week. Yeah, Paul is offering his Mustang for sale. |
Noun: The excitement of scientific achievement is too subtle a sell to stir the public. Actually, Hawaii’s a bit of a sell. Be careful scooping up Treasurys for fear of a sharp sell-off that could drive yields precipitously higher. Put in a sell order now. Verb, intransitive: The album sold 6 million copies in the U.S. These antiques sell for about $375. They had nearly sold out of the initial run of 75,000 copies. It was clear that the performances would not sell out. Ernest sold up and retired. The prime minister has come under fire for selling out to the US. Verb, transitive: The family business had been sold off. I was trying to sell him my butterfly collection. The store sells hi-fis, TVs, videos, and other electrical goods. If she was going to sell herself then it would be as well not to come too cheap. Do not your lawyers sell all their practice, as your priests their prayers? The clansmen became tenants, and the chiefs sold them out. He sold the idea of making a film about Tchaikovsky. He could get work, but he just won’t sell himself. What sells CDs to most people is convenience. I’m just not sold on the idea. What we want is to go out of here quiet, talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town. He sold his soul to the Devil. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Noun: intersale, nonsale, subsale | Adjective: sellable |
| History of the Word: | |
| Late Old English sala from the Old Norse sala is of Germanic origin. | Old English sellan is of Germanic origin and related to the Old Norse selja, meaning give up, sell.
Early use included the sense give, hand (something) over voluntarily in response to a request. |
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 Sale versus Sell
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits
Garage Sale Sign, Ferndale, California, by Ellin Beltz and Dusty Groove Garage Sale 2013 by Dusty Groove are their own individual works; both are under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Revised as of 18 Apr 2024
By: Kathy Davie