It's DISCREET, people.

[letsblowthistacostand]

Discreet. Discreet. Discreeeeeeeeeet.

Don't know why this bothers me so much, but it does.

[TrillianSlasher]

pore 1 (pôr, pr)
intr.v. pored, por·ing, pores

1. To read or study carefully and attentively: pored over the classified ads in search of a new job.

2. To gaze intently; stare.
3. To meditate deeply; ponder: pored on the matter.
[Middle English pouren.]

You're safe

[TigerDrivesAgain]

Cheers . I kinda knew I was, but then had that wobble when you just think....

[TsarChasm]

Practise/practice - I just can't get that embedded in my head at all! You know how some words you have a complete mental block about? I always have to look them up, because I'm never sure and dither about which is which.

It was explained at school, but I didn't understand it at the time and it never sank in

[Iklboo]

Doctors practise medicine in a doctors' practice

I see breath/breathe a lot too (I can't breath or I can't get my breathe)

[nickelbabe]

discreet if you're being quiet about something and
discrete if you're separating them: like in maths, you'd have discrete lines meaning they're not together etc. (or: discrete sentences meaning one sentence has nothing to do with the other)

and the reason a stationer is called a stationer is because they started off selling their stuff from a stationary cart.
so it's actually quite funny that the stuff they sell is stationery (meaning from a stationer standing still) phew!

[ShutUpandDrinkYourGin]

I often see 'tow the line', which surely must be 'TOE the line'. Or perhaps I've been wrong all this time?

I was taught practise is a verb (like advise) and practice is a noun (like advice) like BOF

[nickelbabe]

it is toe the line, i think it's from the milatary when they had to line up with their toes on the line drawn on the ground.

and you're right about practise/practice too

[kickassangel]

i admit some things are a bit difficult, like all the choose/chose loose/lose - it's not like we pronounce them all the same, is it?
practice sounds just like practise, but advice sounds different from advise, so it's hard to teach a general rule that can be applied.

there's another one - different FROM & compared TO. am i the only person on the planet who got taught that? my english isn't perfect, i grew up when teaching grammar was out of fashion, but good grief, how can it be different to or compared with?

[TigerDrivesAgain]

No, it's tow the line ( something to do with pulling boats. I think). But it's not toe the line. Someone will have a nice online dictionary to sort that one out.

Definitely different from but I would I think compare one thing with another, not to another

[Quattrocento]

It's toe the line, I think

[squeaver]

Sorry tiger

2. toe the line or mark,
a. to conform strictly to a rule, command, etc.
b. to shoulder responsibilities; do one's duty: He tried hard to toe the line on the new job.

[TigerDrivesAgain]

Thanks, Squeaver: interesting - it is standing with your toes on the line then? some of these more obscure ones are very interesting indeed.

[cattj]

I know several people who have trouble with...

brought/bought

"I brought this bread at Tesco."

[Lancelottie]

KAA -- 'compared to' is when you are saying things are similar (as in summer's days); 'compared with' is fine when you are looking for differences ('it was tuppence from Tescos compared with two guineas from Waitrose'...)

[ellipsis]

Ignorant as a catch all insult. Gah. It means lacking in knowledge, not stupid or rude.

[twirlymum]

I hate the misuse of borrow/lend.

'Can you borrow me a pencil?'

No, but I can lend you one.