A bit over a year ago, we posted our first Commonly Confused Words: Saucy Edition. Since then, we’ve spotted more very confused word usage, and we had some folks tell us some confusions they’d encountered, and now we’ve compiled those into Commonly Confused Saucy words TWO: Electric Boogaloo.
Often, which of these words an author uses marks the difference between a story being very sexy, and a story being very strange, so to all writers out there – it’s worth learning the differences, asking for help, or Googling if you’re not sure!
fellate vs. filet vs. fillet vs. flay
fellate (verb): to perform fellatio on a person (as in: to perform oral stimulation on a person’s penis). For example: “Parting her lips, she eagerly fellated her boyfriend.”
vs.
filet (noun): a piece of lace, usually with a geometric design; OR, a French word for a cut of meat. For example: “My hobby is filet crochet.” For example: “I’d like to order the filet mignon, please.”
vs.
fillet (noun): the English spelling of the French word “filet,” referring to a cut of meat. For example: “The advert from the grocery store said fillet of fish is on sale.”
vs.
flay (verb): to remove the skin from a creature. For example: “The person screamed as the torturer flayed their skin from their body.”
taut vs. taught
taut (adjective): pulled tight; alternatively, ship-shape. For example: “He pulled the rope taut and the sails unfurled.”
vs.
taught (verb): something an instructor presented to a learner in the past. For example: “She taught him how to pull the rope taut and unfurl the sales.”
baited vs. bated vs. batted
baited (verb): many meanings, such as: to persecute or exasperate (”He baited them into attack by mocking them.”), to harass or attack by biting and tearing (”The dog baited the cat.”), to place bait (”The fisherman baited his hook.”), to entice or lure (”Good deals baited hopeful house hunters.”
vs.
bated (verb): to reduce the force or intensity of something; to take something away. For example: “She waited with bated breath.”
vs.
batted (verb): the act of using a bat against someone or something. For example: “The shortstop batted third in the line-up.”
pore vs. poor vs. pour
pore (verb): to study or gaze at something intensely. For example: “He pored over the document.”
vs.
pore (noun): a small opening in the outer covering of an animal or plant. For example: “The close-up was so intense that you could see every pore on their nose.”
vs.
poor (adjective): to lack material resources. For example: “I can’t afford lunch because I’m too poor.”
vs.
pour (verb): to cause a liquid to flow in a stream, possibly from a container (”The juice pours from the pitcher.”), or can be used figuratively, for example “She poured out her feelings in a rush” or “The tycoon pours money into their investment.”)
wither vs. writh vs. writhe
wither (verb): to lose vitality or freshness. For example: “After the flowers were cut, they withered quickly.”
vs.
writh (???): writh is not a word.
vs.
writhe (verb): to twist into folds, to twist until something distorts, to twist (a part of the body) as though in pain, to suffer keenly. For example: “He tickled my foot, and I writhed in discomfort.”
Have any questions? You can still always drop us an ask…