Friday, October 23, 2015

mayhem, may hem

Mayhem or mayhem ( one word ), in law, means inflicting harm on someone attempting to defend himself or herself, or inflicting harm in order to render someone defenseless--
He was charged with mayhem and aggravated assault.
She is serving a sentence for mayhem and armed robbery.

Mayhem is sometimes used in a general sense, to means violent disorder or chaos--
When the teacher told them school would end early, mayhem ensued.
The cafeteria erupted into mayhem, but it was short-lived.

May hem or may hem ( two words ) means might or possibly ( may ) shorten or lengthen, or fold down and sew the edge of, a skirt, pants, curtains, or some other item (hem )--
I may hem these curtains; I think they're too long.
She said she may hem the dress tomorrow, so you'll have it for the wedding.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I may hem this shirt and sew on the buttons, if the mayhem ever ends."

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