Word Confusion: Every Body versus Everybody

Posted August 14, 2017 by Kathy Davie in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions

If you’re writing every body, it does not mean everybody.

Every body refers to all those of a particular type, event, organization, group, etc. If you want to indicate a general sort of all the people, then everybody is appropriate.

Using every body
Every body is talking.

Eeek! How can corpses possibly talk!?!?!?!

As opposed to everybody
Everybody is talking.

Ooh, gossip…

Curious About Other Everys?

If you’re curious about other every closed compound words, you may want to check out “Every Day versus Everyday“, “Every Man versus Everyman“, “Every One versus Everyone“, “Every Place versus Everyplace“, “Every Thing versus Everything“, and “Every Way versus Everyway“.

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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.

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Every Body Everybody
Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com

Sailors preparing to slide shrouded bodies over the side

“Burial at Sea, USS Intrepid”, 1944, by Gallagher, Barrett, Photographer, is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Every body of the men of the USS Intrepid lost in the 26 November 1944 battle was accounted for.


Black-and-white photo of a seated crowed arranged in a semicircle around an outside dais with a number of speakers

“View of the Crowd Listening to the Speeches” by Sam Hood (Item ID: 6858 is from the collections of the State Library of New South Wales) is in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Everybody was intent on the speakers.

Part of Grammar:
Adverbial Phrase consisting of a Determiner + Noun Closed Compound Word


Pronoun, singular or plural
All those of a particular type, event, organization, group, etc. Every person in general
Examples:
Yogurt is healthy for every body, well, except those with dairy allergies.

When we finished counting the cadavers, we knew every body was there.

This article notes the best short for every body type.

Everybody agrees with his views.

It’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

Thank god, everybody stayed until the end.

Everybody must sign his or her name.
OR
Everybody must sign their name.

Everybody had fun tonight.

History of the Word:
Every is Old English ǣfre ǣlc while body is Old English bodig and of unknown origin. First recorded in 1520–30.

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!

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Pinterest Photo Credits:

Group of Zombies, Shooting of the Film Meat Market 3 by Joel Friesen is under the CC BY 2.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.