“That’s one cheap manatee ticket!”
I guess it was a ticket for a performance by a manatee.
I wonder if there was a matinee performance by a manatee?
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.
If you found this post on “Manatee versus Matinee” interesting, consider subscribing to KD Did It, if you’d like to track this post for future updates.
| Manatee | Matinee |
|---|---|
 |
 — |
| Part of Grammar: | |
| Noun, Noun modifier
Plural: manatees |
Noun
Plural: matinees, matinées Alternative spelling: matinée |
| Noun: Any of various herbivorous aquatic mammals of the genus Trichechus, having paddle-like front flippers and a horizontally flattened tail, are found in warm coastal waters and rivers in Florida, northern South America, West Africa, and the Caribbean |
Noun: A performance in a theater, circus, or a showing of a movie that takes place in the daytime |
| Examples: | |
| Noun: Manatees depend on sea-grasses and other near-shore ecosystems for food and shelter and are the most immediately impacted by nutrient run-off from agriculture. Manatees avoid contact with humans, have flippers shaped like paddles, and are more closely related to elephants than they are to dolphins or whales. “This dugong, which also bears the name of the halicore, closely resembles the manatee; its oblong body terminated in a lengthened tail, and its lateral fins in perfect fingers” (Verne, ch 5). “A petition in Bradenton, Florida, is calling for a memorial to Confederate veterans to be replaced with a statue of beloved Snooty the manatee, who died in a tragic tank accident at the weekend only days after celebrating his 69th birthday” (Diebel). |
Noun: There’s a Saturday matinee at 2:30 p.m. Can we go to the matinee, Mom, please? We never went anywhere, not even to a matinee. Modified Noun: The theatre is having a matinee performance for the kids. We all do have our matinee idols. |
| Derivatives: | |
| Adjective: manatoid | |
| History of the Word: | |
| Mid-16th century from the Spanish manati, which is from the Carib manáti. | Mid-19th century from the French matinée, literally morning (as a period of activity), is from matin meaning morning. Performances were formerly held in the morning. |
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, Marketing Help & Resources, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Manatee versus Matinee
Some of these links may be affiliate links, and I will earn a small percentage, if you should buy it. It does not affect the price you pay.
Apple Dictionary.com
Diebel, Matthew. “Petition Calls for Confederate Monument to be Replaced by Statue of Snooty the Manatee.” USA Today. 25 July 2017. Accessed 16 May 2024. <URL>. Petition.
The Free Dictionary: manatee, matinee
Verne, Jules. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Originally published 1870. Wordsworth Editions Ltd, 1998. <https://amzn.to/4bKw6Z3>. Print.
Pinterest Photo Credits
Manatees, Guyana Botanical Gardens, by Dan Sloan is under the CC BY-SA 2.0 license and Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, by Serge Melki is under the CC BY 2.0 license. Both are via Wikimedia Commons.
