Quick answer: A cocktail is a mixed drink that usually contains alcohol, such as a spirit combined with juice, soda, syrup or bitters. A mocktail is an alcohol-free mixed drink, often modeled on a cocktail, with the name built from “mock” plus “cocktail.” Mocktails are also called virgin cocktails or zero-proof cocktails. Labeling rules vary … Read more
Quick answer: Both words mean increasing by successive additions, and they largely overlap. Cumulative is the standard word and is far more common: “the cumulative effect of small savings.” Accumulative is a real but much rarer adjective meaning “tending to accumulate.” When in doubt, choose cumulative. (The correct spellings are “cumulative” and “accumulative,” not “cummulative” … Read more
Quick answer: A meteoroid is a small rocky or metallic object moving through space. A meteor is the streak of light you see when one burns up in the atmosphere, the “shooting star.” A meteorite is a piece that survives the trip and lands on the ground. In short: meteoroid in space, meteor in the … Read more
Quick answer: Kitty-corner is the most common form, and catty-corner is a close second. Both mean “diagonally across from.” The older form is cater-corner, which some formal style guides prefer. Katty-corner is a rare respelling that is not a standard dictionary form, so it is safest to write kitty-corner or catty-corner. Kitty Corner vs Katty … Read more
Quick answer: They are not opposites, because they describe different things. Champagne is a sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Brut is a sweetness level meaning dry, with less than 12 grams of sugar per liter. A bottle can be both, as in “brut Champagne,” and other sparkling wines can also be labeled … Read more
Quick answer: “Today’s” with an apostrophe is almost always correct, since it shows that something belongs to today, as in “today’s weather.” “Todays” without an apostrophe is not a standard word in regular sentences; “today” has no true plural form. Quiz: Todays vs Today’s today’s Possessive of today. “Today’s news was surprising.” todays Not standard. … Read more
Quick answer: In a federal system, power is constitutionally divided between a national government and regional governments, such as states or provinces, each with their own authority. In a unitary system, the national government holds the supreme authority and any regional powers exist only because the center chooses to grant them. Quiz: Federal vs Unitary … Read more
Quick answer: “Addition” means something added, as in a new addition to the family. “Edition” means a particular version of a published or produced work, as in the first edition of a book. The phrase is “limited edition,” never “limited addition.” Quiz: Addition vs Edition addition Something added, or the act of adding. “The puppy … Read more
Quick answer: “Mantel” is the shelf above a fireplace. “Mantle” is a cloak or covering, a layer of the Earth, or a figurative role someone takes on, as in “took up the mantle of leadership.” If you’re talking about your fireplace, you want “mantel.” Quiz: Mantle vs Mantel mantel The shelf above a fireplace. “We … Read more
Quick answer: “Molding” and “moulding” are the same word with two correct spellings. “Molding” is standard American English, while “moulding” is standard British, Canadian and Australian English. Both mean the same thing, whether you mean shaping something or the decorative trim on a wall. Quiz: Molding vs Moulding molding American English spelling. “We installed crown … Read more