The proliferation of social media use in the past few years has really been an eye-opener for me in that it has put a glaring spotlight on the horrendous spelling and grammar errors committed by its users. At what point did the school system stop teaching the differences between there, their, and they’re? How about to, too, and two? And don’t get me started on your and you’re. So, I’m not going to dwell 
on a subject that is beyond any hope for repair, but it did spark my creativity to talk about other words that can often be misinterpreted, not because of an educational deficiency, but because they are homonyms.
For those in the dark, a homonym is a word that is spelled and/or pronounced the same but has different meanings. For example, a BAND can be a group of musicians or it can be a ring worn on your finger.
Today, I want to focus on some words that I hear often in the home improvement arena, but first, a little history lesson.
Plutarch was a Greek philosopher and biographer who lived in the first century AD. In one of his writings that was speaking about work going on in the yard, he made a
statement about calling a fig a fig and a trough a trough. It wasn’t until the mid-16th century when this phrase was translated to English, and the words fig and trough were replaced with the more familiar garden implement, the spade. Hence, the phrase we know today as, “Call a spade a spade” or sometimes, “Call a spade a spade and not a garden tool.” What it means is, don’t confuse the issue…just call things by their proper name.
Of course, when the proper name can have a double definition, things can get confusing. From 2008-2016, I was one of the hosts on a national call-in talk radio program and spoke with homeowners from all over the country every week, doling out home improvement advice. One week, I spoke with a lady from New York who was having an issue with rainwater drenching her at the front door to her home. I began discussing options like diverters and gutters, and she responded with such utter confusion wondering how in the world the gutters could possibly help her at the doorway?!?! It took a couple of minutes of back & forth comments before I finally figured out that, to her, the gutters were where the street met the property line and sidewalks.
Another word to watch is vent. In the construction industry, a vent can be an opening that allows air to circulate in the crawl space or allow hot air to escape an attic… OR it could be a motorized fan designed to move moist air out of a bathroom or kitchen.
To add a touch of international flavor, a gentleman who was a transplant from the UK called the show one week to talk about his garden. I’m imagining raised beds with squash, tomatoes and peppers or, perhaps, some award-winning roses. However, for our British cousins, a garden is what we Americans refer to as our yard.
My whole point today is to encourage you to broaden your vocabulary, your culture and your professionalism. Make it a goal to learn a new homonym every week or so, especially if it’s a word that can relate to items in and around the home. You may have more examples, and I’d love to hear them!
After awl, your never two old too learn something knew…write?