Revised as of 18 April 2021
It was that knights arrant that caught my eye. I know there were more likely to be a number of naughty knights as opposed to good ones, but it’s not a phrase that has arisen in literature before. And certainly not in the context the writer was using *shakes her head in dismay*.
It does behoove one to know the difference when using them fancy words…
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. Consider sharing this Word Confusion with friends by tweeting it.
| Arrant | Errant |
|---|---|
| Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com; Merriam-Webster: arrant and errant | |
Emphraim Kingsbury Avery is a Very Bad Man is in the public domain by an unknown author, via Wikimedia Commons. — An arrant man. |
Knight on His Horse by A.S. Forrest is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — A knight errant preparing to travel. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Adjective | Adjective |
| [Attrib.; dated] Complete
Utter Extreme Being notoriously without moderation |
[Attrib.] Erring or straying from the proper course or standards 1
[Often postpositive; Archaic; Literary] Traveling in search of adventure 2
|
| Examples: | |
| What arrant nonsense!
“We are arrant knaves, all; believe none of us.” – Shakespeare |
He could never forgive his daughter’s errant ways.
That same lady errant abides within. They were knights errant seeking to fulfill a quest. He was an errant knight, always moving about on his travels. ‘Twas an errant breeze that caught her hair. She was an errant child always getting into mischief. He chased an errant golf ball. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adverb: arrantly | Adverb: errantly Noun: errancy, errantry |
| History of the Word: | |
| Middle English variant of errant was originally used in phrases such as arrant thief meaning outlawed or roving thief. | First known use: 14th century
|
C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan…which words are your pet peeves?
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Pinterest Photo Credits
Dale Clark Poses as Johnny Depp, in Pirates of the Caribbean by Carol M. Highsmith is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Knight Riding Through the Medieval Town, <https://visualhunt.com/f2/photo/471503904/3c5d2968ca/>, by hans s is under the CC BY-ND 2.0 license, via VisualHunt.
