Revised as of
28 June 2023
Just because two words sound alike does not mean they mean the same thing. Shocking, I know. Being something of a bluestocking, I have a passion for words, and I blew through writing up these definitions. It did help that these heterographs were so straightforward.
I did get a bit blue trying to grasp the difference between the intransitive and transitive verbs for blue until I came across a different reference source which stressed that the intransitive version TURNS blue while the transitive MAKES blue.
I know, you’re feeling blue yourself at the idea of having to keep track of which is which. Not to worry. I chose to separate verbs into the intransitives and transitives simply to keep you aware of their existence. That verbs can be separated like this. So there’ll be no need to swear a blue streak about it.
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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| Blew | Blue |
|---|---|
BEEF Watusi by the National Nuclear Security Administration / Nevada Site Office (Nevada National Security Site Tour Booklet, part 2) is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The TNT-equivalent of 36,600 pounds blew up at the Nevada Test Site’s Big Explosives Experimental Facility (BEEF). |
|
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Morpheme: blue
Adjective; Verb, intransitive & transitive Third person present verb: blows |
Adjective; Noun; Verb, intransitive & transitive Plural for the noun: blues Third person present verb: blues |
| Verb, intransitive: [Of the wind or air] To be in motion To move along, carried by or as by the wind To produce or emit a current of air, as with the mouth or a bellows [Of a horn, trumpet, etc.] To give out sound To make a blowing sound
[Of horses] To breathe hard or quickly
[Informal] To boast
Verb, transitive: To spread or make widely known To drive a current of air upon To clear or empty by forcing air through To shape (glass, smoke, etc.) with a current of air To blow smoke rings To cause to sound, as by a current of air [Jazz] To play a musical instrument of any kind [Informal] To end a romantic or other relationship with |
Adjective: Of the color of blue [Initial capital letter] Of or pertaining to the Union army in the American Civil War [Of the skin] Discolored by cold, contusion, fear, or vascular collapse Depressed in spirits
Holding or offering little hope
Characterized by or stemming from rigid morals or religion Marked by blasphemy Noun: The primary color between green and violet in the visible spectrum, an effect of light with a wavelength between 450 and 500 nm Any of various coloring agents used to counteract the yellowing of laundered fabrics A rinsing agent used to give a silver tint to gray or graying hair Something having a blue color A person who wears blue or is a member of a group characterized by some blue symbol [Often initial capital letter] A member of the Union army in the American Civil War or the army itself Bluestocking Blue ribbon Verb, intransitive: Verb, transitive:
To tinge with bluing |
| Examples: | |
| Verb, intransitive: Dust blew through every crack in the house. He blew on my hands to warm them. He blew that trumpet as if he were Louis Armstrong. The siren blew just as we rounded the corner. She blew long and hard about how fabulous she was. Verb, transitive: Growing panic blew the rumor about. He blew his nose loudly. The wind blew the chimney smoke to the south. He blew smoke rings that he sent through the ones he had blown earlier. The driver blew his horn at the next crossing. He blew me off after our third date. The candles blew out at once. The scandal blew over in a month. |
Adjective: I love that blue tie. The Blue and the Gray was a casual reference to Yankees and Confederates during (and after) the American Civil War. She felt blue about not being chosen for the team. She has such a blue outlook. Blue laws were primarily religious laws, a.k.a., the Sunday laws, and restricted one’s activities on Sundays. The air was blue with oaths. Noun: It’s subtle, but there is a difference between teal blue and teal green. Tomorrow the blues will play the browns. She was a bluestocking, who always had her head in a book. The Murphys’ twins took blue ribbons at the fair last summer. Verb, intransitive: The shirts blued. Their blueing fingers were a good indicator of how cold they were. Verb, transitive: Don’t blue your clothes ’til the second rinse. The light dims, bluing the retina. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Dialect: blowed Noun: blowing |
Adjective: bluer, bluest, bluesy, half-blue, unblued Adverb: bluely Noun: blueness, bluing |
| History of the Word: | |
| The first known use was before 1000.
Middle English blowen |
Its first known use was 1250–1300.
Middle English blewe from the Anglo-French blew, the Old French blo, blau (French bleu) from the Germanic blǣwaz. Compare the Old English blǣwen, which is a contraction of blǣhǣwen meaning deep blue, perse (see blae, meaning hue), the Old Frisian blāw, the Middle Dutch blā, the Old High German blāo (German blau), and the Old Norse blār. |
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 Blew versus Blue
The Free Dictionary: blue
Merriam-Webster: blue
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Louis Armstrong Blew the Blues is in the public domain, via PickPik.
