Leave the Egg-Laying to Chickens: Ten Confusing Words You’ll Never Misuse Again

Lie vs. Lay. Chickens lay [place] eggs. I don’t do this, but, if I did, I’m sure I’d have to lie [rest] down afterward.

Elicit vs. Illicit. I was unable to elicit [evoke] a response from my aged mother about the illicit [illegal] liquor at the senior center.

Climactic vs. Climatic. The climactic [climax] moment of the outdoor production of Macbeth was ruined when the climatic [weather] change brought on a heck of a storm.

Adverse vs. Averse. When the ship sailed into adverse [unfavorable] weather, the landlubber aboard became seasick because he was averse [reluctant] to taking motion sickness medication.

Affect vs. Effect. My gentle attempt to affect [influence] my two-year-old daughter’s unacceptable behavior resulted in an adverse effect [result].

Illusion vs. Allusion. An illusion [misconception] in the final scene of Hitchcock’s Vertigo leaves Scottie Ferguson (played by James Stewart) with a false impression. The director’s allusion [indirect reference] to his real intentions was misunderstood by Scottie Ferguson.

Abdicate vs. Abrogate. The king decided to abdicate [resign] his throne rather than abrogate [abolish] the law requiring everyone to wear clothes in public.

Accept vs. Except. I no longer accept [receive] birthday gifts, except [apart from] when they involve great amounts of money.

Irritate vs. Aggravate. Hercule Poirot’s obsessive neatness tended to irritate [annoy] Captain Hastings, which in turn aggravated [exacerbated] their difficulties in solving crimes.

And finally: Nauseous vs. Nauseated. Do people who pick their noses make you nauseous or nauseated? Speaking personally, I’m nauseated [sickened] by their nauseous [sickness-inducing] conduct.