Today we’re continuing with Word Knots, where we look at common situations involving words that are often confused or misused. 

We primarily use two highly recommended sources: The Dictionary of Disagreeable English by Robert Hartwell Fiske (Chicago: Writer’s Digest Books) and Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge (New York: W.W. Norton).

Rather than take a stern ‘grammar police’ approach we try to keep it light and in each installment point out examples of semantic confusion that should be considered “must to avoid.”

From Fiske:

Esoteric

Confused with exoteric.

■

Let’s look at the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary definitions:

esoteric

adjective

1 a: designed for or understood by the specially initiated alone

   b: requiring or exhibiting knowledge that is restricted to a small group

2 a: confined or limited to a small circle

   b: private, confidential

3  : of special, rare, or unusual interest

exoteric

adjective

1 a: suitable to be imparted to the public : readily comprehensible

   b: belonging to the outer or less initiate circle

   c: publicly known : popular

■

These two present an unusual case because although the spellings differ only by a single letter, they can be considered antonyms: the meanings are the opposite of one another.

Examples of each:

For a first date, John realized that the avant garde jazz concert was a bit too esoteric for Jane’s tastes.

On their next date, John decided a more exoteric choice would be preferred, so he took Jane to the latest hit movie.

To improve ratings, the television network decided to avoid programming that was too esoteric.

To improve ratings, the television network decided to focus on exoteric programming that would be appealing to a broader audience.

This is another case where relying on AI could get you in trouble: To select the correct word requires an understanding of the context.

Spelling can be critical, which is why checking your work is an important step toward ensuring that your intended meaning is clear.

Like this post? Follow Virtus Publishing on LinkedIn!