A Lot vs. Alot vs. Allot

A lot, alot, and allot only differ by a few spaces or letters. However, all of the terms function differently. Let’s investigate how to use each one.

What Does a Lot Mean?

Alot is a common misspelling of a lot. A lot should always be spelled as two words. The meaning of a lot depends on the context. Usually, it means “many” or “to a great extent.” Let’s look at some examples.

Shelley reads a lot of books during her morning commute.

Chopped parsley looks alot like chopped cilantro.

What Does Allot Mean?

To allot means to apportion by shares or to set aside for a special purpose. How do you use this verb? Let’s look at some examples of allot in a sentence.

The settlers were alloted one acre of farmland.

The employer allots one hour for lunch.

Examples

America is “closer than a lot of folks think” to ending cancer, Barack Obama has revealed.

Independent

Maybe everybody had the same allotedmeasure of happiness within each day.

Ann Brashares, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

14 Expressions with Crazy Origins that You Would Never Have Guessed

Guest post by Anais John

You probably use tons of expressions, idioms, and slang phrases every day that don’t make literal sense. If you ever thought long and hard about why you say something a certain way, you could probably make a guess. However, some English expressions are so crazy and unusual that it is impossible to guess where on earth it originated from — unless you know the history.

In case you didn’t know, historical events, legends, important figures, religion, and even advertisements form the basis of many expressions used today. Here are the origins of some of the most interesting idioms!

Bite the bullet

Meaning: To accept something difficult or unpleasant

Origin: In the olden days, when doctors were short on anesthesia or time during a battle, they would ask the patient to bite down on a bullet to distract from the pain. The first recorded use of the phrase was in 1891 in The Light that Failed.

Break the ice

Meaning: To break off a conflict or commence a friendship.

Origin: Back when road transportation was not developed, ships would be the only transportation and means of trade. At times, the ships would get stuck during the winter because of ice formation. The receiving country would send small ships to “break the ice” to clear a way for the trade ships. This gesture showed affiliation and understanding between two territories.

Butter someone up

Meaning: To impress someone with flattery

Origin: This was a customary religious act in ancient India. The devout would throw butter balls at the statues of their gods to seek favor and forgiveness.

Mad as a hatter

Meaning: To be completely crazy

Origin: No, you didn’t already know this one, because it didn’t originate from Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Its origins date from the 17th and 18th centuries — well before Lewis Caroll’s book was published. In 17th century France, poisoning occurred among hat makers who used mercury for the hat felt. The “Mad Hatter Disease” was marked by shyness, irritability, and tremors that would make the person appear “mad.”

Cat got your tongue?

Meaning: Asked to a person who is at loss of words

Origin: The English Navy used to use a whip called “Cat-o’-nine-tails” for flogging. The pain was so severe that it caused the victim to stay quiet for a long time. Another possible source could be from ancient Egypt, where liars’ and blasphemers’ tongues were cut out and fed to the cats. (What a treat for the cats!)

Barking up the wrong tree

Meaning: To have misguided thoughts about an event or situation, a false lead

Origin: This refers to hunting dogs that may have chased their prey up a tree. The dogs bark, assuming that the prey is still in the tree, when the prey is no longer there.

Turn a blind eye

Meaning: To ignore situations, facts, or reality

Origin: The British Naval hero, Admiral Horatio Nelson, had one blind eye. Once when the British forces signaled for him to stop attacking a fleet of Danish ships, he held up a telescope to his blind eye and said, “I do not see the signal.” He attacked, nevertheless, and was victorious.

Bury the hatchet

Meaning: To stop a conflict and make peace

Origins: This one dates back to the early times North America when the Puritans were in conflict with the Native Americans. When negotiating peace, the Native Americans would bury all their hatchets, knives, clubs, and tomahawks. Weapons literally were buried and made inaccessible.

Caught red-handed

Meaning: To be caught in the act of doing something wrong

Origin: This originates from an old English law that ordered any person to be punished for butchering an animal that wasn’t his own. The only way the person could be convicted is if he was caught with the animal’s blood still on his hands.

Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater

Meaning: Don’t get rid of valuable things along with the unnecessary ones.

Origin: You won’t believe this one! In the early 1500s, people only bathed once a year. Not only that, but they also bathed in the same water without changing it! The adult males would bath first, then the females, leaving the children and babies to go last. By the time the babies got in, the water was clouded with filth. The poor mothers had to take extra care that their babies were not thrown out with the bathwater.

Give a cold shoulder

Meaning: Being unwelcoming or antisocial toward someone

Origin: In medieval England, it was customary to give a guest a cold piece of meat from the shoulder of mutton, pork, or beef chop when the host felt it was time for the guest to leave. This was a polite way to communicate, “You may leave, now.”

Go the whole nine yards

Meaning: To try your best at something

Origin: During World War II, the fighter pilots were equipped with nine yards of ammunition. When they ran out, it meant that they had tried their best at fighting off the target with the entirety of their ammunition.

Let one’s hair down

Meaning: To relax or be at ease

Origin: In public, the aristocratic women of medieval times were obliged to appear in elegant hair-dos that were usually pulled up. The only time they would “let their hair down” was when they came home and relaxed.

Rub the wrong way

Meaning: To bother or annoy someone

Origin: Early Americans, during the colonial times, would ask their servants to rub their oak floorboards “the right way”. The wrong way (not wiping them with dry fabric after wet fabric) would cause streaks to form and ruin it, leaving the homeowner annoyed. Alternatively, it could have derived from rubbing a cat’s fur the “wrong way,” which annoys them.

What other idioms are confusing for you? Which origin most surprised you?

 

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About the Author Anais John is an specialist in English Language and loves to share her expertise on online communities. Currently she’s working with an online consultancy Essay Mall, supervising their editing panel. Apart from writing, she has an endless passion for every form of art, i.e., from abstract to realistic art. Get to know more about her on Google+.

“Which World Leader Do You Write Like?” Quiz

You have greatness in you. Cultivating it often takes role models, mentors, and loads of hard work. This fun quiz will help you find out which famous world leader you most resemble in your writing and may help you find an inspiring role model.

What world leader did you get? What others do you look up to?

International English: Going beyond U.K. and U.S. English

Guest post by Rosevita Warda

“The status of English as an international language is long established and, for the foreseeable future, unlikely to be greatly challenged. However, I believe that to make it genuinely international, then one step in that direction could be to consider the influence of non-native speakers in a different light.

“Generally, their non-occurrent uses are labeled errors and they are encouraged to change to conform to the standard English model, even though many native speakers don’t. I’ve heard the question ‘what means’ so many times now that I have decided to accept it as correct without question. I also can’t feel too strongly about ‘depends of’ being used by so many European and other speakers.

“Allowing a greater influence from outside will probably annoy the pedants, but it would be much more of an international language if it were able to absorb more such forms and allow them to coexist alongside the forms preferred by native speakers.”

— International English: Interesting blog post by Richard Flynn of UsingEnglish.com fame

International English Is Our Reality

As the creators of the first multimedia learners’ dictionary committed to International English, we’re delighted to hear more and more people vote in favor of acknowledging International English. English has never been a restrictive or exclusive language, which is the very reason why it became the language media of choice for the people of this world.

Today, there are more Indian, Pakistani, Filipino or Nigerian English speakers than those living in the U.K. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population). Many of them are not native speakers, but contribute to the largest population of English speakers: Those who learn English as a foreign language. People who speak English as their non-native language are by far the largest English-speaking group today (http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-faq-the-english-language.htm).

Limiting the English language with traditional labels and doctrines and focusing on U.K. vs. U.S. English exclusively creates dissonance with this reality. We live in a world where English is growing into a colorful family of English variants. Since it’s the first time in history that a language spreads across the globe in such a powerful fashion and at such speed, change in our attitudes and how we perceive this language is inevitable.

Rules imposed by local traditions or doctrines broadcast from ivory towers will soon fade, and they already do.

Is International English a sign of a decline of the English language? Only, we believe, if your definition of English is narrow and retrospect.

Being the global language of choice is a compliment to the English language. It has always been a language that embraces new ideas and terminology. Instead of seeing this as a threat, it’s time to cherish International English for its colors, nuances, and flavors, and to acknowledge that language is alive. Language is in its essence shaped and advanced by the people who communicate in it.

About the Author

Rosevita Warda is president of LearnThat Foundation and manages www.LearnThatWord.org, a free online vocabulary and spelling coaching solution. Get 10 percent off premium features by entering “grammarly” into the “How did you hear about us” field.

Join Vocabulary Junction, LearnThat Foundation’s literacy campaign, by following updates on Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn.

A Grammar Lesson: Direct and Indirect Objects

An object is the part of a sentence that gives meaning to the subject’s action of the verb. For example: Alice caught the baseball. Subject=Alice Verb=caught Object=baseball

A direct object answers the question of who(m) or what. In the sentence above, you could determine that ‘baseball’ is a direct object by asking the question: What did Alice catch? She caught the baseball. Baseball is the direct object.

An indirect object answers the question of to whom, for whom, or for what. For example: Max pitched Alice the baseball.

Max (subject) pitched (verb) the baseball (direct object) to whom? He pitched it to Alice. Alice is the indirect object.

To learn more about sentence structure, read this blog post about verb tenses.

Grammarly is nominated for the Crunchies Awards. Click here to vote for Grammarly!

5 Books for Understanding Women’s History

Close your eyes. Can you picture the significant women in your life? The images of women whom you interacted with during your lifetime are vivid, but what about those who lived in generations past? Even when no physical traces survive, we can still envision them. How so? Notice how Emily Dickinson gave a glimpse of her physical appearance: “I had no portrait, now, but am small, like the Wren, and my Hair is bold, like the Chestnut Bur – and my eyes, like the Sherry in the Glass, that the Guest leaves – Would this do just as well?” Can you see her in her words? Words can reveal much about the women who lived before you. Here are five books that will allow you to look back in time.

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan

Betty Friedan conducted a survey of her college classmates for a class reunion. She found that many felt dissatisfied with their careers, or lack thereof, after graduation. Moving beyond her classmates, she discovered that many women experienced discrimination based on their sex. She tried to publish her findings, but it seemed no magazine was interested in what she had to say. In the early 1960s, she compiled her research into a nonfiction book—The Feminine Mystique. History credits this book as an accelerant of the women’s movement.

African American Women Writers’ Historical Fiction by Ana Nunes

How were African American women affected by historical developments? Unfortunately, textbooks haven’t always recorded the minority perspective. This volume explores history through fiction written by women during the last forty years of the twentieth century. The introduction quotes Ralph Ellison: African American culture is “expressed in a body of folklore, in the musical forms of the spirituals, the blues and jazz; . . . a cuisine; a body of dance forms.” Historical fiction can introduce you to characters who won’t appear in a history textbook—the ordinary people who lived in extraordinary times.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

How would it be to grow up in New England during the Civil War? This book offers a portrait, not of one woman, but of several sisters with distinct personalities. There is Meg, the eldest girl, nostalgic for the wealth and luxury of the old country. There’s also Jo, the tomboy, who wanted to follow her father into battle rather than fulfill the traditional roles of a lady of her time. Beth is sickly but emotionally strong. Her sweet nature bonds the family together. Amy is the youngest and the most ambitious. She wants to improve her station in life, so she journeys to Europe to find her destiny. Other strong characters, Marmee and Aunt March, reveal even more about this tumultuous period in history.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This fictional account chronicles the life of one girl who becomes a geisha in Japan on the eve of World War II. Geishas were young women trained to entertain and please men. Chiyo, later called Sayuri, learns to play instruments, dance, and perform tea ceremonies. When she is older, she faces the mizuage ceremony, where the highest bidder wins her virginity. This book will take you into a secret world where you will learn that sometimes you must choose the lesser of two evils.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Do you remember with fondness the house where you grew up? Young latina Esperanza Cordero feels a connection to her home, family, and community. At the same time, she longs to leave her impoverished Chicago neighborhood. As did other women throughout the centuries, she faced a choice. Should she endure her circumstances or should she break free to try to find a better life?

After you read a page or two of one of these books, meditate on the descriptions the author provides. Think beyond how the characters dressed or how they talked. Think of their emotions and attitudes in the face of changing times. The books can’t take you back in time, but they can paint a vivid picture of how life was for women during different phases of history. And as Emily once asked, “Would this do just as well?”

Funner vs. More Fun

• As a noun, fun means enjoyment.
• Fun is not universally accepted as an adjective. People who do accept it as an adjective seem to prefer more fun and most fun over funner and funnest.

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Whether fun or more fun is correct seems like a simple question, but the answer isn’t exactly straightforward. To understand, you must examine the background of the word fun. Let’s get started.

Fun, the Noun

Fun is enjoyment, or something that provides amusement. If you have fun in a greater quantity, you have more fun. Some people say that fun can function only as a noun. Before we address that issue, let’s look at some examples of fun as a noun.

She has the most fun when she is dancing.

He had more fun dancing than he anticipated.

Fun, the Adjective

As early as the 1900s, people were using fun as an adjective in speech and informal writing. People use it to describe things or people relating to fun. Sometimes, it describes things that are whimsical. Many people, perhaps most people, strongly prefer more fun and most fun as the comparative and superlative forms of fun. Still, plenty of others label things funner and funnest. Many dictionaries acknowledge this use, but still label the adjective form as informal. Here are some examples of fun used as an adjective.

Morris is a fun guy.

Keith is more fun than Bjorn.

Keith is funner than Bjorn.

Gregory is the most fun man I ever met.

Gregory is the funnest man I ever met.

If you’re not sure which way to go, remember that more fun and most fun will raise fewer eyebrows than funner and funnest.

Examples

For Ben Mendelsohn, playing a villain on-screen in the new Star Wars film was a career highlight. “They’re pretty fun,” the actor said today on ‘GMA.’ “Bad guys have more fun.”

ABC News

“Scheduling a fun event for your leisure time ruins it, removing the enjoyment from the activity as surely as if you had to be at the office instead,” says Sorrel, citing research by Ohio State University professor Selin Malkoc.

Successful Meetings

“If you have a guy wide open, he has to get the ball. It builds guys’ confidence, it makes the game funner. If we’re not playing the right way, it’s frustrating.”

NBA.COM

It takes an entire community and a whole state to make this all turn into one of the funnest events of the year,” said Jim Balamaci, the president and CEO of Special Olympics Alaska.

KTVA.com

If you think fun belongs only in the noun category, then “more fun” is the only choice for you. Do you accept fun as an adjective? If you do, you can also embrace funner and funnest in informal writing. If enough people do so, it will probably become accepted as standard before long. Speaking of fun, why not learn whether you are using some other English expressions correctly?