Posts in Confusion
alternate and alternative

These two words used to have quite distinct meanings.  If two things were described as alternate, it meant that one came after another in a repetitive pattern.  If something is described as alternative to another, then it is a possible option to be taken up.

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ball one's eyes out

I was alerted to the phase ball one’s eyes out  when it appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald.  Checking online I found to my astonishment that there are thousands of examples of this.  Is bawl such an unusual word now that we choose to substitute ball as more familiar? 

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ConfusionSue ButlerComment