Word Confusion: Whicker versus Wicker

Posted April 25, 2016 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
12 Jan 2023

I gotta tell ya . . . the only place one would encounter a whicker basket is in a fantasy in which normally inanimate objects come alive. I’d surmise that a whickering basket was happy in its home. Now, if we were talkin’ wicker basket, I’d reckon it was made out of a flexible, pliant twig.

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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Whicker	Wicker
Old Woman Laughing on the Market is The Photographer’s own work under the CC0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. Audio courtesy of Engreitz, via Freesound.org. — A whicker of laughter.	Sillón, Madrid, is Tamorlan’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — I do love the homey feel of a wicker chair.
Part of Grammar:
Noun; Verb, intransitive Plural for the noun: whickers Gerund: whickering Third person present verb: whickers Past tense or past participle: whickered Present participle: whickering	Adjective; Noun Plural for the noun: wicker
Noun: A snigger A soft, breathy whinny The sound of something beating the air Verb, intransitive: Utter a half-suppressed laugh Snigger Titter [Of a horse] Give a soft breathy whinny Move with a sound as of something hurtling through or beating the air	Adjective: Consisting or made of wicker Covered with wicker Noun: A slender, pliant twig Osier Withe Plaited or woven twigs or osiers as the material of baskets, chairs, etc. Something made of wickerwork
Examples:
Noun: Whickers from multiple horses whispered in the air. Jeni heard Marly’s whickers as she came out the door. Searching for the missing pony, Jeb heard a whicker on the left. Verb, intransitive: Flicka whickered when she heard me coming. The palomino whickered when she saw him and stamped her foreleg. The soft whicker of the wind flowing through the July corn soothed me.	Adjective: Oh, Helen, I found the cutest wicker chairs. What purpose does a wicker-covered jug serve? Maggie found the most adorable wicker placemats. Noun: Helen collects wicker baskets to store her fabrics. Wickerwork exposed to weather will rot. I do adore anything wicker.
History of the Word:
Mid-17th century, imitative, in the sense of to snigger or titter.	Middle English of Scandinavian origin. Compare with the Swedish viker meaning willow and related to vika meaning to bend.

Whicker

Wicker

Old Woman Laughing on the Market is The Photographer’s own work under the CC0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

Audio courtesy of Engreitz, via Freesound.org.

—

A whicker of laughter.

Sillón, Madrid, is Tamorlan’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.

—

I do love the homey feel of a wicker chair.

Part of Grammar:

Noun; Verb, intransitive

Plural for the noun: whickers
Gerund: whickering

Third person present verb: whickers
Past tense or past participle: whickered
Present participle: whickering

Adjective; Noun

Plural for the noun: wicker

Noun:
A snigger

A soft, breathy whinny

The sound of something beating the air

Verb, intransitive:
Utter a half-suppressed laugh

Snigger
Titter
[Of a horse] Give a soft breathy whinny

Move with a sound as of something hurtling through or beating the air

Adjective:
Consisting or made of wicker

Covered with wicker

Noun:
A slender, pliant twig

Osier
Withe

Plaited or woven twigs or osiers as the material of baskets, chairs, etc.

Something made of wickerwork

Examples:

Noun:
Whickers from multiple horses whispered in the air.

Jeni heard Marly’s whickers as she came out the door.

Searching for the missing pony, Jeb heard a whicker on the left.

Verb, intransitive:
Flicka whickered when she heard me coming.

The palomino whickered when she saw him and stamped her foreleg.

The soft whicker of the wind flowing through the July corn soothed me.

Adjective:
Oh, Helen, I found the cutest wicker chairs.

What purpose does a wicker-covered jug serve?

Maggie found the most adorable wicker placemats.

Noun:
Helen collects wicker baskets to store her fabrics.

Wickerwork exposed to weather will rot.

I do adore anything wicker.

History of the Word:

Mid-17th century, imitative, in the sense of to snigger or titter.

Middle English of Scandinavian origin. Compare with the Swedish viker meaning willow and related to vika meaning to bend.

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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.

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