Monday, August 25, 2014

undermine, under mine

Undermine or undermine ( one word ) means to weaken or destroy by digging under, literally, or through hidden or secret means, figuratively--
The general has ordered us to undermine their defenses by digging under the walls.
He sees any suggestion for change as an attempt to undermine his authority.

Under mine or under mine ( two words ) means beneath ( under ) something that belongs to me ( mine )--
I think your coat is under mine; look again.
If they're in alphabetical order, his name should be under mine.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"Put your signature under mine, so management won't see this as an attempt to undermine the new regulations."

No comments:

Post a Comment