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disclaim
dihs kleIm
transitive verb
1. to deny (as any knowledge of, responsibility for, or connection with).
example: He disclaimed all responsibility for the mistake.
example: She disclaimed the threatening e-mail.
2. to deny the validity or authority of.
example: She disclaimed Leninism.
“I am ready to disclaim my opinion, even of yesterday, even of 10 minutes ago, because all opinions are relative. One lives in a field of influences, one is influenced by everyone one meets, everything is an exchange of influences, all opinions are derivative. Once you deal a new deck of cards, you’ve got a new deck of cards.” (Peter Brook)
3: in law, to renounce a right or claim to.
example: You are named as a beneficiary of the will, but you may elect to disclaim , or refuse, an interest in the decedent’s estate.
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claim
kleIm
transitive verb
definition 1: to assert ownership; demand as one’s right.
example: The settlers claimed a parcel of land along the river.
example: He was in a hurry to claim a seat in the front row.
definition 2: to state (something) as true although not proven or universally accepted to be true; assert, contend.
example: He claimed that the new discovery was his.
example: The advertisers claim that their product cleans better than similar products.
example: Some scientists claim that these skeletal remains are much older than what was once believed.
noun
definition 1: a statement that is maintained to be true although it is not proven or universally accepted to be true.
example: Nobody believed his claim of seeing a UFO.
example: The drug company made the claim that its drug was more effective than others on the market.
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- flaet fU tihd
- adjective
- 1. pertaining to or having flat feet.
A lady should never waltz if she feels dizzy. It is a sign of disease of the heart, and has brought on death. Neither should she step flat-footed, and make her partner carry her round; but must do her part of the work, and dance lightly and well, or not at all. (Mrs. John M. E. W. Sherwood , Manners and Social Usages)
- 2. off one’s guard; unprepared.
Mining companies were caught flat-footed by cyber attacks.
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continuously vs. continually
Continually and Continuously. It seems that these words should have the same meaning, but in their use by good writers there is a difference. What is done continually is not done all the time, but continuous action is without interruption. A loquacious fellow, who nevertheless finds time to eat and sleep, is continually talking; but a great river flows continuously. (Ambrose Bierce, Write It Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults, 1909)
It’s not a shocker that these two adjectives are frequently confused. They differ in spelling only by a letter, and they both mean, broadly speaking, “opposed to.” Digging deeper into their etymology only reveals more similarity: the same Latin verb, versare, meaning “to turn,” is at the root of both.
To keep the memorizing simple, here’s a tip:
The word “averse” always applies to a person. It describes a person’s feeling or attitude of being against or opposed to something. Examples: She was averse to violent movies. Are you averse to attending this costume party?
The word “adverse” applies to outside forces and conditions that affect people, usually in a way opposed to or harmful to people’s needs or interests. Examples: A blizzard creates adverse driving conditions. This study concludes that violent movies have an adverse effect on children.
You’ll notice, too, that “averse” is almost always used with the preposition “to.” Examples: I am not averse to change; it just takes me a while to adjust to new things.
By contrast, “adverse” usually precedes a noun that it modifies: adverse side-effects, adverse winds
Get this distinction down, and then learn the more precise meanings of these two words by looking up the dictionary entries. And, finally, if you are familiar with “aversion” and “adversity,” which are the nouns formed from “averse” and “adverse,” knowing this quartet of words will strengthen your command of all of them.
P.S. If you come up with a mnemonic device based on the extra “d” in “adverse,” let us know.
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aed vərs [or] əd vərs
adjective
1. opposed to or conflicting with one’s purposes or desires.
example: The adverse vote on the director’s proposal was unexpected.
example: The captain was used to sailing under adverse conditions.
2. producing harmful effects.
example: The patient had an adverse reaction to the medication.
3. moving in an opposite direction.
