Revised as of
4 Jan 2023
If someone suggested I give them a tenor, I’d be assuming I was supposed to hand over a singer. From the context of the paragraph, the writer definitely meant money. Although, if I had handed over Plácido Domingo, I guess he’d be worth more than a tenner.
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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| Tenner | Tenor |
|---|---|
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Commonwealth Bank of Australia – 10 Pounds is courtesy of Heritage Auctions is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — Yep, that’s a tenner all right. |
David Jackson Plays Alto and Tenor Sax is Gunnar Creutz’s own work under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun 1, 2
Plural: tenners |
Noun 1, 2
Plural: tenors |
[British; informal] A ten-pound note 1
[US] A ten-dollar bill [Slang] A ten-year prison sentence 2 |
A singing voice between baritone and alto or countertenor, the highest of the ordinary adult male range 1
[In singular noun; usually the tenor of] The general meaning, sense, or content of something 2 [In singular noun; usually the tenor of] A settled or prevailing character or direction, especially the course of a person’s life or habits [Law] The actual wording of a document [Finance] The time that must elapse before a bill of exchange or promissory note becomes due for payment |
| Examples: | |
| Give us a tenner, guv.
I spent a tenner on that teddy bear. He’s doing a tenner in Attica. I’ll take another tenner, if you want my help. |
He should be singing in with the tenors.
“Ruling the waves as King Neptune was the tenor of all tenors, Plácido Domingo, who now is conquering important roles in the baritone repertory as well” (Plotkin). I do adore the sound of a tenor sax. The weight of the tenor, the largest bell, was 28 cwt. (Abbey). The general tenor of the debate is acrimonious. The even tenor of life in the kitchen was disrupted the following day. The tenor of a check would be the exact amount payable, as indicated on its face. This document’s tenor has been verified. Short-term loans usually have a tenor of a 30-day, 60-day, or 90-day option. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: tenorless | |
| 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 Tenner versus Tenor
“Abbey Bells.” Westminster Abbey. n.d. Web. n.d. <https://www.westminster-abbey.org/about-the-abbey/history/abbey-bells#i17233>.
Apple Dictionary.com
Plotkin, Fred. “The Most Beautiful Tenor Aria? Hear Plácido Domingo Sing Them All.” WQXR. 18 Mar 2014. Web. n.d. <https://www.wqxr.org/story/most-beautiful-tenor-aria-placido-domingo-sings-them-all/>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
These images have been Photoshopped:
The cropped Lend Me a Tenor Poster is Collin Knopp-Schwyn‘s own work under the CC BY 3.0 license, and is a student-made poster for the 2011 production of Ken Ludwig’s Lend Me a Tenor at Minneapolis South High School.
Ten Dollar Bill Folder by Light Warrior, which is under the GPL or the FAL license, provides the image infill. Both images are via Wikimedia Commons.
