NewsBlues mrsbgrammar Page 114
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Mrs. Bluezette's Grammar Guide
capitol/capital, carat/caret, canvas/canvass,
canon/cannon, calvary/cavalry
Several sound-alike "c" words call out for attention today:
"Capitol" (with an "o") is both the national and the state
BUILDING.
Capitalize it when it's the national one: Capitol.
"Capital" (with an "a") is the city and the money.
"Carat" (with an "a") is what Mrs. B's ring doesn't quite have.
"Caret" (with an "e") is that little housetop mark ^.
"Carrot" is what Mrs. B's horse lives for.
"Canvas" (with one "s") is cloth.
"Canvass" is a survey of public opinion.
"Canon" (with one "n") is a religion related rule or law.
"Cannon" is the weapon. (It's also part of a horse's lower leg.)
"Calvary" is the hill Jesus was crucified on.
"Cavalry" is a motorized army unit (remember in the Gulf War?) or
troops trained to fight on horses.
A TD in a top 10 market rides to the aid of Mrs. B in her fight
against misspelling:
"... I see, and try to intercept, spelling problems in CG titling on
our newscasts several times a day. It's not as if I have to try;
these are glaring errors and they pop out like sore thumbs... As I
see it, this is a credibility issue. If we cannot be bothered with
the basics, how can we be trusted with the big stuff? ..."
Hurrah for a techie in the top ten, Mrs. B's hero of the day.
