Thursday, September 6, 2012

"He is very sedimentary" - huh?

The word should be sedentary. 

Sedimentary refers to sediment, material that settles at the bottom of liquid, as in the sediment deposited in the earth's crust over eons.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Regimen vs. Regiment

Regimen (n) is a diet, a program, a discipline.  Ex. "The regimen I routinely follow is to brush my teeth after every meal" or "The doctor prescribed a regimen of diet and exercise."

Regiment (n) is a military unit of ground forces, battle groups, and other supporting units.  Regiment (v) means to impose a set of rules on someone/something, to force discipline or order on.  Ex. "A regiment of Boy Scouts descended on the city."  And, "The parents objected strenuously to the regimented new program of the school."