Synonyms are useful
rogersgeorge on September 3rd, 2012
English, having its roots in several tongues, picked up a lot of synonyms. So we have a cow in the stall, but beef on the table. Pairs of synonyms usually have significant differences in their meanings, and it pays to learn these subtleties.
I recently ran into a comic by the very astute Darrin Bell that gives a nice description of the difference between “listen” and “hear.”
The name of the comic is Candorville, and I recommend it highly. Serious, thoughtful, intelligent, and funny.
I have collected several language-related comics lately, so expect more in the near future.
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