to discreetly mention that 'discreet' has a discrete meaning from 'discrete'?

[IHeartKingThistle]

The one you want for breastfeeding is 'discreet.'

'Discrete' means 'separate from'.

As you were. Except for, you know, the discrete thing.

No wish to offend!

[BluelightsAndSirens]

Yes to of instead of have

[gimmecakeandcandy]

And no bleedin' space between the dots and the words please...

[BluelightsAndSirens]

Yes as in I agree of is rubbish in place of have...

[sparklyjumper]

stationery because it has an E for envelope

[Salmotrutta]

OMG - I put a space...

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

This is true. Although one might choose to breastfeed discretely from onlookers, in order to demonsrate that one is a discreet person.

[Nagoo]

Can someone tell Boots? Their maternity pads are discrete. Maybe they are individually wrapped.

I've been annoyed about this in the aftermath of two births, 3 years apart. I'm always a bit busy at the time I see it though, for some reason.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

Is it safe to admit I have learnt two things on this thread?

I'm an English teacher

[MsVestibule]

Wise words sock

OP, YANBU. I mentally correct everything I ever read. It's not that I'm judging people for not being as good at English as what I am but I just can't help but notice. Never been to Pedants Corner; think it would make me even more unbearable than I already am.

[apostropheuse]

ATruth

You've left me wondering what you've learnt!

[ThePathanKhansWitch]

Ellipsis,eh? ...I,ve told dd they mean... wait and see .

Thankyou for discreet/discrete,I had no idea.

[ThreeBeeOneGee]

I think that ten (or twelve) discrete pads would be more useful (and hygienic) in the long term than one merged super-pad!

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

I'm not admitting it Apostropheuse!

Rest assured I do know how to use apostrophes though

[GeorgianMumto5]

I just laughed out loud at the rogue Lego advice.

I remember learning the word 'discrete' in a GCSE maths lesson. Initially, I thought we were doing covert sums. I was genuinely surprised when the teacher explained.

Can we also cover 'etc.'? It's not, 'ect', folks! Stop littering your facebook posts with 'ect'!

[hellsbells76]

learned not learnt

[WilsonFrickett]

Atruth I hope it's not about ellipsis. Because that poster was wrong ...

[gimmecakeandcandy]

No! No... Arghh! No space!

[dearcathyandclare]

I am so appalled that I didn't know this, bit I did know that a pArked cAr is stationAry ( see what I did there!)

[DontEvenThinkAboutIt]

I already know this, thanks to MN and the MN pedants.

I also now know how to spell definitely.

MN is very educational.

[TapselteerieO]

So when The noun form of ?discreet? is ?discretion?, as most people use correctly. However, the noun form of ?discrete? is not ?discretion?, but rather ?discreteness?, which often causes yet another grammatical blunder associated with discrete/discreet.


Both ?discreet? and ?discrete? derive from the Latin ?discretus?, meaning ?separate, situated, put apart?, which in turn derives from the Late Latin ?discernere?, which is also where we get the word ?discern?. ?Discretus? then gave rise to the Old French ?discret?, meaning ?sensible, intelligent, wise?, which by the 17th century became ?discreet? and came to mean as it does today, ?prudent, careful, reserved"

My head hurts, I have had a very stressful and upsetting day...

[IHeartKingThistle]

I accept no responsibility for any advice given on ellipsis. Or Lego.

[DontEvenThinkAboutIt]

I still haven't mastered apostrophes though...... one thing at a time

[IHeartKingThistle]

Niiiiiiice, Tapsel!

[WilsonFrickett]

Yes space. It is not a full stop. My iPad prob autocorrected but the correct proofing for an ellipsis is space/full stop/space/full stop/space/full stop/space/any other punctuation or start new sentence

It's like this . . . And then this . . . And if we're using speech 'I said this . . . '