Revised as of
27 Dec 2022
It was only fair that I include “Sail versus Sale” once “Sale versus Sell” appeared. It isn’t a word confusion that comes about that often but when the gaffe is made, you’ll find yourself falling off and having to set a new course with the proper word lest your reputation capsize!
Yep, I had fun with this one . . . *giggle* . . .! Too bad sale got short shrift, but I’m sure the after-Christmas sales will make up for it . . . *grin* . . .
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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| Sail | Sale |
|---|---|
Mir Sailing Ship is Mz’s own work and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |
Blazer For Sale by Hugo-90 is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via VisualHunt. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: sails Third person present verb: sails |
Noun
Plural: sales |
| Noun: A piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat, ship, or other vessel
Something resembling a sail in shape or function, in particular:
Verb, intransitive:
[With adverbial of direction] Move smoothly and rapidly or in a stately or confident manner
Verb, transitive:
|
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
|
| Examples: | |
| Noun: All the sails were unfurled. The ship’s sails were torn and ragged. “Hoist sail, me hearties,” he cried. They went for a sail. Sail ahoy! Verb, intransitive: Ian took us out sailing on the lake. You can learn to sail here. The ferry caught fire sailing between Caen and Portsmouth. The catamaran sails at 3:30. She sailed into the conference room at 2:30 sharp. Alex sailed through his exams. Verb, transitive: I stole a small fishing boat and sailed it to the Delta. We sail tonight. He is sailing the ship. Clouds were sailing past. A pencil sailed past his ear. |
We withdrew it from sale.
The sale has fallen through. Price cuts failed to boost sales. He’s the new director of sales and marketing They held a clearance sale yesterday. The November issue is on sale now. We’ve put the house up for sale. Harvey’s is having a white sale! |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: sailable, sailless, unsailable, unsailed Noun: sailor |
Noun: intersale, nonsale, subsale |
| History of the Word: | |
| Old English segel (noun), seglian (verb) is of Germanic origin and related to the Dutch zeil and the German Segel nouns. | Late Old English sala from the Old Norse sala is of Germanic origin. |
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 Sail versus Sale
Apple Dictionary.com
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Sailboat 2Krona by Ankalole and 14 06 02 Property For Sale Sign (cropped with a fake phone number inserted) in Mamaroneck, New York, by ReubenGBrewer’s is their own individual work; both are under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. No, I very much doubt this property is still for sale.
