'G' Words Gaffes Run the Gamut by Rob Kyff on Creators.com

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'G' Words Gaffes Run the Gamut

What is it about "g" words?

Many words beginning with "g" are often confused with one another. "Gambit" or "gamut"? "Gaff" or "gaffe"? "Grizzly" or "grisly" or even "gristly"? It's almost too much to bear!

Speaking of which, "grizzly" derives from the Germanic root "grisel," meaning "gray"; think of the Teutonic folktale about the elderly siblings Hansel and Grisel.

So the English adjective "grizzled" means "sprinkled or streaked with gray," as in "grizzled veterans," and the noun "grizzly" refers to the large North American bear with gray streaks in its coat.

(Interestingly, the verb "grizzle" means "to grumble," implying that elderly people tend to gripe. This blatant ageism really annoys me, and, by the way, why do they make food packages so hard to open these days?)

By contrast, "grisly" means "inspiring disgust or fear," as in "grisly crime scene." It derives from the Old High German "grisenlih" (terrible). "Grisly" is the adjective form of "gristle," which means "tough, fibrous matter found in meats."

"Gambit," derived from the Italian "gambetto" (the act of tripping someone), has a narrow technical meaning in chess: the sacrifice of a piece to gain a strategic advantage.

Linguistic purists want to perform a "gambetto" on everyone who uses "gambit" to mean any tactic or ploy, as in, "The lawyers tried several gambits during the course of the trial." But this general meaning is now both widespread and acceptable.

(By the way, what does it say about human beings that we have a word for the act of tripping someone? "Gambetto" joins "nugie" and "wedgie" in the rogues' gallery of terms for puerile personal assaults.)

"Gamut," derived from "gamma," the third letter of the Greek alphabet," means "the entire range or series." People sometimes misuse "gambit" for "gamut," as in, "His misdeeds run the gambit from wedgies to nugies."

Using "gambit" for "gamut" is a "gaffe" — a blatant error. By contrast, a "gaff" can be several things: a large iron hook used for fishing; a metal spur; a trick or swindle; harsh treatment; an ordeal; or a cheap theater. The verb "gaff" can mean "to hook" or "to swindle."

Interestingly, both "gaffe" and the "gaff" that means "hook" ultimately derive from the same Old French word — "gaff," meaning "a hook." If you've ever been on the hook for committing a gaffe (in a language column, for instance), you've probably felt the connection.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254