From the "I guess I don't know everything" department: today I learned something entirely surprising. There are two different spellings for the different meanings to the word "compliment/complement." Seriously, how in the heck can I be finding out something this basic so late in the game? It's not like English is a second language or anything... it's pretty much all I got! I shudder to think how often I've misused/misspelled the word over the years. It would have been to my compliment to complement my English skills with this knowledge a long time ago. Did they even teach this in school? Was I sick that day?
As a public service to anybody who also was sick that day in school...
Compliment (with an "i"): An expression of esteem, respect, affection, or admiration.
Complement (with an "e"): Something that enhances, fills up, completes, or makes perfect.
Oh, and by the way... one thing I DO know is that "they are" is "they're" NOT "their."
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I am wondering about the spelling of boss’s. I swear I was taught that a sequence of three of the same letters is a no-no. In my day it was boss’. Of course, I got into hot water with the third grade teacher for spelling grey, gray.
ROFL about the compliment/complement.
I have to say what I don’t understand is the use of capitol vs. capital. I know that capitol is the seat of the state government, ie. Olympia, and capital is money. But when you go to the state capitol you see all these signs that say capital. “Capital Mall”, “Capital Theatre”. Are they misspellings or do I not know the rule?
Also, when I was in the third grade spelling bee at Peshastin-Dryden S.D., I lost on the word “can’t” because I couldn’t remember what an apostrophe was called. I knew all the letters and made an apostrophe-like motion with my hand but I couldn’t remember the word for it. I am still haunted by that.
Me again. Who knew:
USAGE NOTE: The term for a town or city that serves as a seat of government is spelled capital. The term for the building in which a legislative assembly meets is spelled capitol.
Gasp! You went to P-D?!? I thought you were an Eastmont girl. The capitol/capital thing I get. That was something I remember from school somewhere along the way.
I sure did. P-D Cougars. I went from K-3 then to Eastmont for 4th grade. I liked P-D better than Eastmont, even now.