Fast and Lose English

[ornoth]

In recent months I’ve seen at least three college graduates on my friends list type “loose” when they meant “lose”, or vice versa, and it’s just as common an occurrence for the people who write for my magazine.

I find that surprising. The two words are completely distinct: in meaning, in part of speech, and in pronunciation. It shocks me that anyone could mistake one for the other, and it usually lowers my opinion of the author’s intellect when I see it.

So in an effort to ensure that doesn’t happen to you, I’d like to provide a little review. I’ll make it as quick and painless as possible, but it may require a bit of mental effort to internalize the difference.

Here’s the lazy person’s rule: if you say it aloud and get a “Z” sound, that’s “lose”; if you get a soft “S” sound, that’s “loose”. If, as a native English speaker, you have a reliable ear, that might be all you need.

But if not, here’s the gritty that is nitty…

“Loose” is usually an adjective. It describes something not firmly attached. Your belt is loose. A knot is loose. Some *thing* is loose. But it has absolutely nothing to do with something that is (or might become) lost, and you usually can’t “loose” something¹.

“Lose” is a verb; something can’t be “lose”. It is an action: you lose something. You lose your way. You lose your keys. You might even lose weight one of these days. If you lose something, it becomes lost; you can’t find it or don’t have it anymore.

That covers 99% of all cases. Unless you’re a purist, you can commit the above to memory and never look silly again.

¹ Now, for the purists out there, “loose” can, in fact, be a verb. In rare instances, you can actually loose something. However it still has the same basic meaning: to release or unattach. You can loose a boat from a mooring. You can loose an arrow. It’s like a more complete form of “loosening”, as you’d loosen a tie. But in none of these instances does the object you loose or loosen become lost. If you lost it, then you want “lose”, never “loose”.

Comments

[blowtorch-betty.livejournal.com]

Be happy you're not in a fitness related lj community!

I reguarly chided people who wanted to "loose my fat" with questions about why they wanted to set it free.

[edschweppe.livejournal.com]

With sufficient fasting (which can cause brain damage through malnutrition), one could certainly lose one's command of the English language.

Meanwhile, one could lose one's hounds should one loose them upon a fearsome beast - if said fearsome beast were to slay the hounds.

[time-strider-9.livejournal.com]

Loose the pigeons! :-)

I suspect, though, that getting people to use the correct word will be as difficult as getting them to stop writing "alright" (sigh).

[rhillai.livejournal.com]

I hardly see those two used wrongly. But not because it doesn't happen, but I just wasn't in tune with looking. I notice more errors from their and there being used wrongly. Also, it's and its, which I have to say I've done. Not sure why, but I caught the wrong usage in my last written novel. I must have been typing really fast. Yeah, that's it. LOL!

[rubyred660.livejournal.com]

This is one of my biggest pet peeves. I am shocked every time I see it and can't understand how otherwise intelligent people make the mistake.

[ornoth.livejournal.com]

As if that rant wasn’t enough, literally last night I was reading “Better Available Light Photography” by Joe Farace and Barry Staver, published by Focal Press, an imprint of Butterworth-Heinemann, and I read the following:

Once the clip test is evaluated, the balance of the film is then processed to achieve the best results. It’s easy to do a clip test and not loose one animated, important image.

[ornoth.livejournal.com]

Girlie, I think I'd have a hard time finding any fat on you to loose! Not that I'd mind the search, tho...

[ornoth.livejournal.com]

Yeah. They're alot of common misteaks maid.

I highly recommend this site and/or book. It rules.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html (http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/errors.html)

[blowtorch-betty.livejournal.com]

I said "fitness" not "weight loss"!