Revised as of
1 Oct 2022
I ran across a phrase in a book description: so-and-so”, is about to shudder his law practice”.
I’m pretty sure he meant to write shutter, but the author may have had something else in mind and intended to use shudder to convey a mood, an atmosphere. But I’m not sure. And the wondering has shuttered my even wanting to read his story. I fear that I’ll run across more misspellings that take me out of the tale, and well, I simply shudder to think!
| Consider the following: | |
|---|---|
| He was about to shudder his law practice.
. . . create an upheaval, something that will make the law tremble. |
He was about to shutter his law practice.
. . . on the verge of closing his business down. |
| I shudder to think!
I’m afraid to consider what could happen if . . . |
I shutter to think!
I don’t want to think? I want to close off thinking? |
| He gives me the shudders.
I’m afraid of him. |
He gives me the shutters.
Super! I’ll save all sorts of money. |
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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| Shudder | Shutter |
|---|---|
Latrodectus mactans courtesy of Kim and NASA is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — Hey, spiders make me shudder! |
French Shutters by Ed g2s is under the GFDL, CC-BY-SA-3.0 or CC BY-SA 2.5 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun 1; Verb, intransitive 2
Plural for the noun: shudders Third person present verb: shudders |
Noun 1; Verb 2, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: shutters Third person present verb: shutters |
| Noun: An act of shuddering 1 Verb, intransitive:
|
Noun: One who shuts (something) 1 Each of a pair of hinged panels, often louvered, fixed inside or outside a window that can be closed for security or privacy or to keep out light
[Photography] A device that opens and closes to expose the film in a camera [Music] The blind enclosing the swell box in an organ, used for controlling the volume of sound Verb, intransitive: Verb, transitive: To close a business, store, etc. for a period of time or forever |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: The elevator rose with a shudder. The peso’s devaluation sent shudders through the market. He gives me the shudders. Verb, intransitive: The train shuddered and edged forward. He drew a deep, shuddering breath. She shuddered when the chill of the wind hit her. I shudder to think what could happen. |
Noun: We should close the hurricane shutters before the storm hits. Drop the burglary shutters in place when you lock up. I love the look of plantation shutters. Our local shop put up the shutters for the last time. What shutter speed should I use in a low-light situation? Verb, intransitive: “The windows of the cars are shuttered so the passing land can not be seen” (Moss). Best in that case to shutter down. Verb, transitive: They locked the doors and shuttered the windows. They declared bankruptcy and shuttered the store. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: shuddering, shuddery Adverb: shudderingly |
Adjective: shuttered, shutterless, unshuttered |
| History of the Word: | |
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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 Shudder versus Shutter
Apple Dictionary.com
Merriam-Webster: shudder, shutter
Moss, Stephen. “End of the car Age: How cities are outgrowing the automobile.” The Guardian. 28 Apr 2015. Web. n.d. <https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/apr/28/end-of-the-car-age-how-cities-outgrew-the-automobile>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Building with Shutters and Decorative Glass in Windows, <https://visualhunt.com/photo/4125/building-with-shutters-and-decorative-glass-in-windows/&gr;, is in the public domain, via VisualHunt.
