Word Confusion: Stake versus Steak

Posted February 4, 2020 by kddidit in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

I’m getting hungry for a good steak as I write this up. And I’d stake my life there’s a steak in my freezer…

And you guessed it, this is another pair of homophones.

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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Stake	Steak
Image from page 230 of Arboretum et fruticetum britannicum; or, The trees and shrubs of Britain, native and foreign, hardy and half-hardy, pictorially and botanically delineated, and scientifically and popularly described; with their propagation, culture, 1854, is under no known copyright restrictions and courtesy of Internet Archive Book Images, via Flickr. — The stakes protruding upward are visible in this half-finished basket.	Salmon Steaks by Marlith is under the CC BY-SA 3.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons.
Part of Grammar:
Noun ¹, ²; Verb, transitive ¹, ² Plural for the noun and third person present verb: stakes Past tense or past participle: staked Gerund or present participle: staking	Noun Plural: steaks
Noun: A strong wooden or metal post with a point at one end, driven into the ground to support a tree, form part of a fence, act as a boundary mark, etc. ¹ [Historical; the stake] A wooden post to which a person was tied before being burned alive as a punishment A long vertical rod used in basket-making One of a number of vertical posts fitting into sockets or staples on the edge of the platform of a truck or other vehicle, as to retain the load A metalworker’s small anvil, typically with a projection for fitting into a socket on a bench [sett] A handheld tool that is struck by a hammer to shape or deform a metal object A territorial division of the Mormon Church under the jurisdiction of a president [Usually stakes] A sum of money or something else of value gambled on the outcome of a risky game or venture ² A share or interest in a business, situation, or system [stakes] Prize money, especially in horse racing [In names; stakes] A horse race in which all the owners of the racehorses running contribute to the prize money [With modifier; stakes] A situation involving competition in a specified area Verb, transitive: Support a tree or plant with a stake or stakes ¹ [stake something; often followed by off or out] Mark an area with stakes so as to claim ownership of it To separate or close off by a barrier of stakes [Usually followed by off or out] To possess, claim, or reserve a share of (land, profit, glory, etc.) as if by marking or bounding with stakes Be assertive in defining and defending a position or policy To tether or secure to a stake, as an animal To fasten with a stake or stakes Gamble (money or something else of value) on the outcome of a game or race ² [North American; informal] Give financial or other support to	High-quality beef taken from the hindquarters of the animal, typically cut into thick slices that are cooked by broiling or frying A thick slice of beef, pork, veal, etc., or of a large fish Poorer-quality beef that is cubed or ground and cooked more slowly by braising or stewing Minced meat prepared in the same way as steak
Examples:
Noun: I really like those hard plastic stakes for making a teepee for the runner beans. Burn him at the stake! After the base is woven, the stakes are pushed in or attached to that base, to create the structure of the side. I’m staking out ten percent of the profit for myself. We staked out the boundaries of the garden. They staked the goat in the back yard. Stakes and side racks are available for trucks in wood, aluminum, etc. Metalworkers use stakes with a variety of profiles. A Mormon stake is similar to a diocese in other episcopal Christian denominations. He was playing dice for high stakes. The mayor raised the stakes in the battle for power. The stakes are high with a six-figure bonanza in television rights in the balance. GM acquired a 50 percent stake in Saab. Seabiscuit, Secretariat, and Man o’ War won quite a few stakes for their owners. The horse is to run in the Lexington Stakes. We will keep you one step ahead in the fashion stakes. They pulled up stakes and moved West. Verb, transitive: We should stake the tree to ensure it stays upright until the roots take hold. The boundary between the two ranches was properly staked out. The local dog staked out his territory. Elena was staking out a role for herself as a formidable political force. One gambler staked everything he’d got and lost. It was risky to stake his reputation on one big success. He staked him to an education at the École des Beaux-Arts. The cops staked his place out. Looks like he’s staked his claim.	He liked his steak rare. It’s salmon steaks for dinner tonight. Round steaks are best for stewing. I found a keto recipe for Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy. It’s rare to find a good-tasting steak and kidney pie. Steaks, burgers, and chops are the way to a man’s heart.
Derivatives:
	Noun: steakhouse
Phrasal Verb
stake someone out stake something out
History of the Word:
Old English staca is of West Germanic origin and related to the Dutch staak, also to stick, as in to stick something into. Late Middle English perhaps as a specialized usage of the Old English stake above, from the notion of an object being placed as a wager on a post or stake.	Middle English from the Old Norse steik and related to steikja meaning roast on a spit and stikna meaning be roasted.

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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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