Revised as of 17 April 2021
I can understand why writers may confuse bridal with bridle…if they only consider the cartoonish consideration of the groom wanting to bridle his bride and vice versa with the bride wanting to bridle her groom.
When it comes to everyday use however, the bridal will always refer to weddings and all things wedding-related while bridle refers to either an object that controls movement or a negative emotion.
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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Bridal | Bridle |
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Credit to: Apple Dictionary.com; Dictionary.com: bridal and bridle; Oxford Dictionaries: bridle | |
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Part of Grammar: | |
Adjective; Noun Plural for noun: bridals |
Noun 1; Verb, intransitive 2 & transitive 1 Plural for the noun and third person present verb: bridles |
Adjective: Of, for, or concerning a bride or a wedding
Nuptial Noun: A marriage ceremony [Archaic] A wedding feast |
Noun: Part of the tack or harness of a horse, consisting usually of a headstall, bit, and reins
[Machinery] A link, flange, or other attachment for limiting the movement of any part of a machine A raising up of the head, as in disdain Verb, intransitive: [Of a horse] To respond correctly to the pull of the reins Verb, transitive:
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Examples: | |
Adjective: She doesn’t want the white bridal gown. The bridal party came out into the church porch. I wondered if your hotel had a bridal suite? Has Jenny set up a bridal registry yet? That bridal wreath bush is so amazing when it’s in flower. Noun: When is your bridal? Their bridal will be conducted in the family chapel. |
Noun: Each horse had two saddles and bridles each, one set for English and one for western. The dream of every cattle farmer in Namibia: to get that coloured rosette on the bull’s bridle. My first mate retrieved our towing bridle from a locker while Jeff flaked out our anchor line. The entry bridle roll set-up allows the operator to quickly thread the material as well as give accurate tension read-outs to the operator. His common sense is a bridle to his quick temper. Verb, intransitive: “I was totally confused by it,” she says, bridling at the memory. Mexico’s tequila makers bridled at its touting of Tequiza’s tequila base, claiming it was misleading. Almost alone among them, Morrissey bridled at the credit he got. Verb, transitive: I’m the only one who can saddle or bridle him without trouble. The fact that he was their servant bridled his tongue. Someone please bridle this infamous brute, before it is too late! Phyllis was motivated by vindictiveness; others bridled and saddled men for profit. |
Derivatives: | |
Adjective: prebridal Adverb: bridally |
Adjective: bridleless, unbridled Noun: bridler Verb: unbridle |
Phrasal Verb | |
off the bridle on the bridle |
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History of the Word: | |
From Old English brȳdealu meaning wedding feast, from brȳd (bride) + ealu (ale), i.e., ale-drinking; now taken as bride + -al.
Middle English bridale meaning wedding feast. Since the late 16th century (Early Modern English), the word has been associated with adjectives ending in -al. By the 18th century, bridal was perceived primarily as an adjective. |
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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 by exploring the index. You may also want to explore Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, and/or the Properly Punctuated.
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