Revised as of
8 July 2023
“This place is completely lux.”
From the context, I have to assume the author did not mean that the place was filled with light.
That’s the tricky bit of being your own proofreader. Lux sounds reasonable, and autocorrect will tell you the spelling is correct — because autocorrect can’t check for context.
So beware, lux is about measuring light. A scientific assessment.
Luxe is decadent, luxurious, a fabulous surrounding. So even if the item or place is well-lit, it still doesn’t mean it’s luxe.
You may want to check out “Luxuriant versus Luxurious“.
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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| Lux | Luxe |
|---|---|
Maatraan is Anushboo‘s own work under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license, via Wikimedia Commons. — A photographic light meter measures lux. |
Chauffeur with Limousine is in the public domain, via PxHere. — Having a chauffeur to drive me around is my idea of luxe. |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun
Plural: luces, luxes |
Adjective; Noun
Plural for the noun: luxe |
| [Optics] A unit of illumination, equivalent to 0.0929 foot-candle and equal to the illumination produced by luminous flux of one lumen falling perpendicularly on a surface one meter square | Adjective: Luxurious
Noun:
|
| Examples: | |
| Light boxes for light therapy usually produce between 2,500 lux and 10,000 lux.
It is measured in foot-candles or lux. Four of the markers tested activated at illuminance levels over 100 lux. |
Adjective: In 1926, a Belgian boutique began selling smooth, indulgent chocolates in a luxe gold box. Spend seven days exploring deep-sea life from a shamelessly luxe live-aboard yacht. The material is metallic in a comfortable blue tone to give an effortless luxe look. Noun: I admit from the start that you could argue that this is not real luxury but a kind of ersatz variety, punk luxe, and maybe you would be correct. The town, a ski resort in winter (and site of the 1956 Winter Olympics), is a kind of anti-Aspen: elegant and luxe yet warmly human, full of comfortable old hotels built in a blocky chalet style. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Abbreviation: Lux. (Luxembourg) | |
| History of the Word: | |
| 1885–90, from the Latin lūx meaning light. | 1550–60, from the French, which is from the Latin luxus meaning excess, extravagance, luxury. |
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 Lux versus Luxe
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Luxe Living is in the public domain, via PxHere.
