Things Most of Us Think Are the Same - But Aren’t

Slide 1Overview
Things we’ve been saying or thinking for years finally, and suddenly, are brought to
our attention. Some words don’t actually mean the same thing, even if you’ve heard
them used interchangeably.
Maybe you’re talking to a group of work friends when suddenly someone looks at
you strangely. Or worse, maybe you’re on a first date and they correct you on the
spot. False equivalencies, near-synonyms, and things you’ve been saying wrong this
whole time can really come back to bite you.Whatever the case may be, we know
that assumptions about things being the same—which turn out to not be the same—
happen when we least expect it. Words can be tricky, but these small, intricate
differences are actually important to know.
Possum and
opossum
Possums (left) are native to Australia, and opossums (right) are native to North
America. They aren't even from the same animal groups.
Emoji and
emoticon
An emoticon uses characters that you can type, while an emoji is a graphic image.
Poisonous and
venomous
“Venomous” applies to animals that bite or sting, injecting toxins. Anything that’s
“poisonous” unloads toxins when you eat it, according to the Encyclopedia. So saying
a snake is “poisonous” is almost always incorrect as the snake bite is what usually
releases toxins. One exception is the garter snake which has a small or harmless bite
but is toxic to eat, per the Encyclopedia.
Colleges and
universities
“University” is an older word generally referring to institutions with both
undergraduate and graduate or professional programs. “Colleges” emphasize
undergraduate learning and might not have graduate degrees at all, although some still
offer both programs. Another common difference between the two is that “colleges”
tend to be smaller than “universities.” The biggest difference between the two might
be mostly cultural.
Macaroons
and
macarons
One letter in spelling these sweet treats is a small difference between two almost
completely different desserts. French “macarons” are meringue-based sandwich
cookies with either ganache, jam, or buttercream filling. They are notoriously tricky
to make, but macaroons aren’t. “Macaroons” have shredded coconut as the main
ingredient and only take 30 minutes or less to make.
Robberies
and
burglaries
A “robbery” is some person-to-person interaction and theft with, “force, intimidation,
or coercion.” “Burglary,” however, only requires intent to steal, it doesn’t require
actually stealing property or a person interaction. Meanwhile, “theft” simply means
you stole without interacting with anyone.
Climate and
“Weather” accounts for the day-to-day temperature, precipitation, and humidity in a
specific area. “Climate,” however, is a long-term average weather trend. So the
weather might be 50 degrees, rainy, and humid for New York in April, but the
climate might usually be warmer and wetter.
Turtles and
tortoises
An easy way to tell the difference between the two is to look at their feet as tortoise
feet resemble elephant feet while turtles and specifically sea turtles have webbed
feet or true flippers.
concrete
Concrete is comprised of two ingredients: aggregates and paste. The aggregates are
sand, gravel, or stones and the paste is cement and water. Cement is a component of
concrete.
jelly
Jelly is made by crushing fruit and removing all of its bits and pieces, leaving a
spread with a smooth consistency. Jam crushes the fruit too, but leaves the small
fruit pieces and fibers in the mix.
Great Britain
and the
United
Kingdom
If you say "Great Britain", you're including England, Scotland, and Wales. If you say
"United Kingdom", you're including England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern
Ireland.
water
Seltzer water is carbonated water. Tonic water is carbonated as well, but it's also
sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup and contains other ingredients like
citric acid.
colds
Some of the cold symptoms are a sore throat, runny nose, and maybe a nasal drip,
too. “Flu” symptoms differ since the nose is sometimes congested, there’s almost
always fever, and extreme exhaustion. Unlike the flu, however, “colds” and cold
symptoms don’t last as long those of the flu and flu symptoms could develop or lead
to serious complications.
avenues
“Roads” are typically throughways connecting two points, but “streets” are public
roads with buildings on both sides. So while “streets” are “roads,” “roads” aren’t
“streets.” Then there are “avenues” which run the opposite way of roads, either
north-south or east-west, depending on where you live.
Whole wheat
and whole
grain foods
Products that are “whole wheat” are also “whole grain,” but not all “whole grain”
products are “whole wheat” as wheat is a type of grain. A food is “whole grain” if it
uses the entire grain kernel including the outer bran shell and the germ.
Direct and
non-stop
flights
The important difference between “direct” and “non-stop” flights is that “non-stop”
flights go from the first destination to the last. A “direct” flight, on the other hand, is
an older term from days when flights made intermediate stops at airports along the
path or route of the plane, sometimes for more fuel and sometimes without making
passengers leave the plane.
hotels
“Hotels,” a term with French roots, offer lodging, meals, entertainment, and other
services to travelers. “Motels” are a more recent American lodging option meant for
one or two-night stops for road travelers. That’s why hotels provide more amenities
as guests stay longer.
estate sales
Yard sales, garage sales, tag sales, and rummage sales are all pretty much identical.
There is, however, a big difference between yard-type sales and an “estate sale.” The
homeowner runs a “yard sale,” but outside paid people or companies run an “estate
sale.”
hay
"Straw is a byproduct of seed (or grain) production. Hay is grown specifically, and
it’s cut before the plant goes to seed." So straw is just left over from harvesting,
whereas hay seeds are planted to become hay.
Apartment
and
condominium
Apartments are typically owned by one organization or company, and condos are
usually split to have different owners for each unit, but are managed by a condo
association.
Graveyard
and
cemetery
A graveyard is attached to a church, and a cemetery isn't attached to anything.
Affect and
effect
"Affect" is usually a verb meaning "to influence" whereas "effect" is a noun usually
meaning "the result of an influence." So you could say, "What were the effects of
touching the cactus?" And someone would reply, "The cactus affected me by poking
my hand." There are more complicated usage rules between them, but this is the
biggest difference.
Sphynx and
sphinx
A sphynx is a hairless cat. A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a
human and the body of a lion.
Manners and
etiquette
Etiquette means the rules you're following based on what society or a higher
authority has taught you. Manners are the attitudes you're using to execute these
rules.
and
supermarkets
The products in grocery stores are also in supermarkets, but the opposite isn’t
necessarily true. The difference in products and store size are the main reasons
“supermarkets” and “grocery stores” aren’t the same thing. “Supermarkets” usually
have a wider assortment of products going beyond food, but “grocery stores” stock a
handful of household items at most.
Baking soda
and baking
powder
A simple slip of the tongue or confusing baking powder and baking soda could make
the difference between flat and fluffy baked goods. “Baking soda” is a crystalline
weakly alkaline salt. “Baking powder” is a leavening agent usually containing baking
soda as one of the base ingredients.
Conclusion
There's nothing worse than mass confusion - be it about a particular word, object or
religion. These particular terms are so similar that it becomes difficult to
differentiate between the two. The confusion is often passed on from one generation
to the other. These "names" are so deeply engraved in our memories that it has
basically become synonymous to its counterpart.