Miscellaneous Entries.
rotary; rotatory. “Rotary” is the everyday adjective describing something that spins on an axis, esp. a mechanical object {rotary razor}. In technical and scientific writing, “rotatory” describes something subject to or causing a spinning force {optical rotatory dispersion}.
route is pronounced either /root/ or /rowt/. For quite some time, pronunciation specialists have heavily favored /root/. But even those who say that they’re planning a cross-country route (/rowt/) would surely also say “Route (/root/) 66.”
ruble (= the basic monetary unit of various Eastern European countries) is the standard spelling. *"Rouble" is a variant.
ruche /roosh/ (= pleated or fluted cloth, esp. for garment trimmings) is the standard spelling. *"Rouche" is a variant.
rue, vb. This verb is both transitive and intransitive. Although typically it appears transitively {rue the day} {rue the loss}, it is sometimes used intransitively as well — e.g.: “Candidates, he rued, would rather propose V-chips and school uniforms than attempt the more complex answers required to solve society’s problems.” Francis X. Clines, “A Religious Tilt Toward the Left,” N.Y. Times, 16 Sept. 1996, at A12.
rustically (= in a rural, countrified manner) is the adverb corresponding to “rustic,” adj. But some misspell it *"rusticly," maybe on the analogy of “publicly” — e.g.: “If you haven’t already guessed, Newport is not for the ‘rusticly [read ‘rustically’] challenged.'” Adam Mertz, “State of Seclusion,” Milwaukee J. Sentinel, 14 Oct. 1994, at B5. Language-Change Index — “rustically” misspelled *"rusticly": Stage 1.
*Invariably inferior forms.
For information about the Language-Change Index, click here.
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Quotation of the Day: “Clarity merely means getting a thought across. It doesn’t always mean short words or few words. It means being understood. It is true that brevity makes easier reading and that short words and sentences promote easy travel through your piece. But a remorseless brevity is characteristic, say, of a gas bill. That is hardly exciting reading.” David Woodbury, “On Writing Nonfiction,” in Best Advice on How to Write 203, 209 (Gorham Munson ed., 1952).
