For Your Perusal
Often people will say that they’ve perused something when in fact they’ve done exactly the opposite. We’ve come to think of “peruse” as a fancy word for “read,” and it’s common for people to use it when they mean to say that they’ve glanced quickly at some writing. In fact it means “to read with great care.” Luckily, this quick tip is a prime candidate for quick perusal.
43 Comments
Comments are closed.
Just wished a few of my business colleagues got the concept behind ‘perusing’. They might have actually picked up a few of their own mistakes let alone those of others.
ambiguous word, peruse.
Good one. Words are slippery. The more you work with them, the more you notice.
I peruse life continually.
Peruse is a strange word on the tongue. Thanks for the post
Not to nitpick, but according to Merriam-Webster, it can mean either:
1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study
b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner
2 : read; especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner
The 1b definition is second for a reason.
That said, I went to the OED to read further and learned that “peruse” has long been used as a general term for reading (without regard to whether it was careful reading or not), though the specific sense of skimming is a more recent development. So the usage isn’t as cut-and-dried as I had thought; guess that’s what I get for using just one source when posting (though it’s a source I generally trust).
I think that the usage of the b version is so common that it has become the correct definition, but if you go back to the Latin, it does mean thoroughly.
Nice article – I think.
The fact is that I just skimmed through it and scanned it quickly for typos.
If I get time, I’ll peruse it in more detail later.
I used this word in my novel! Luckily it was correct, though I second-guessed myself before taking a glance at the manuscript. Great post.
Hmmm… I guess I’m guilty of using that word incorrectly. I will now be careful to use it the right way.
I’ll glance through…
peruse the meaning,
glean, inspect and browse…
my eye brows to raise and lower
as I chance upon thought
I sought to thumb through…
looking to pursue deeper meaning
than simply face value,
scanning for more than was there…
a smile pursed my lips as I
agreed to study more…
to examine it again when time permitted.
Sorry… just inspired here. LOL
I like to write. Name’s Russ.
Brilliant!
I love to peruse the articles and posts of fellow bloggers. It makes for an interesting evening.
Hahaha…. indeed – some people really needs to read this post to get familiar with the meaning!!
**
Interesting enough, the Collins Cobuild English Language Dictionary explains:
Perusal: The perusal of a piece of writing is the action of reading it fairly quickly and without concentrating very hard on it; a fairly formal word.
peruse: When you peruse a piece of writing, you read it fairly quickly and without concentrating very hard on it.
My English-German dictionary, however, gives exactly the opposite!
My native language is German and as a translator English->German I often come across such ambiguous words. Imagine you have to translate a text, look up a word, translate it according to the dictionary and afterwards you find out that the author meant the opposite
I guess I have to be even more cautious… Thanks for sharing this!
I have perused your quick tip piece … and I love it.
an interesting read for sure
Thank you! I thought it meant to read through quickly. I’ll peruse better in the future! Love your help.
Very helpful tip.Thanks.
One of my personal rules is to not click the Like button unless I’ve perused the article, as I did above. No skimming nor random Likes from me.
Thanks for all your tips. Always helpful.
Peace,
Alexandria Sage
Huh. I did not know that. lol
Ah, so now I know why they say, “To peruse at one’s leisure.” Thanks!
Reblogged this on bisolafolorunsho and commented:
oh good
This post is a real brain twister. Blessings – Maxi
http://asktokira.wordpress.com/
Neat post. There almost seems to be a hidden meaning…
I didn’t know the correct meaning of “perusal” so am appreciative about learning this.
wonderful wonderful~Deborah
Oh! I did not know! “Peruse” always seems so fussy, I ‘ve tried to avoid it. Armed with this tip, I will give it another chance. Thank you.
Picayune is another one which is ambiguous. It might mean to split hair end on.
Or it might mean not to be so much detailed.
Reblogged this on La vie d'un adolescent mercurial.
This got me thinking
I thought it meant, “for your use”…
I might skim over some posts Daryl, but I always peruse yours.
sounds like an amble rather than a guided walk, hence the confusion. Valuable tip
I’m so relieved to find out I’ve been using it properly!
I should peruse more often and glance a little less!
Reblogged this on I was just thinking……..
I think its sometimes used incorrectly. Here’s something I kind of persue.. Writing!
http://wp.me/pywq2-WC
I’ve noticed that in older literature. Sometimes I want to correct people when they use “perusal,” but I bite my tongue. The old meaning is in the process of fading and the new one will become correct. Another example, in 17th and 16th century literature “I doubt” meant “I’m sure.”
An excellent reason not to use $10 words when $1 words will do the job nicely. (Now, if only I could convey this to the people whose work I edit….)