Showing posts with label rows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rows. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

rouse, rows

Rouse or rouse means to stir up, excite, or wake up --
He wants to rouse the audience to a fervor with his inflammatory rhetoric.
We've called him more than once; nothing will rouse him.

Rows or rows ( rhymes with rouse ) is the plural ( more than one ) of "row" meaning an argument or a noisy dispute of some kind --
There were several rows at the party last night, but nothing serious.
They had so many late-night rows that the neighbors called the police.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"The rows were blamed on the music; its violent theme can rouse tempers."

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

rise, rice, arise

Rise or rise ( pronounced rize ) means to get up or move up--
We rise at 6 every morning.
If it rains too much, the creek will rise.
If the yeast is old, the bread won't rise.
I don't like to see a rise in the price of groceries.
To get "a rise" out of someone is to make him or her display anger or annoyance--
That comment really got a rise out of him.
You're just trying to get a rise out of me.

Arise is an old-fashioned word for rise--
Arise and follow!
"I say unto thee, arise!"

Rice or rice ( rhymes with nice  ) is a commonly eaten grain--
Rice cakes are popular with dieters.
I like fried rice when we order Chinese food.

Now that you know that, you can say--
"I hope the price of rice doesn't rise."

Note--the past tense ( yesterday, or some time ago ) form of "rise" is "rose"--
He rose at 6 am.
They were up before the sun rose.
 The past tense of "arise" is "arose".
My love arose.
Not to be confused with "rose" the well-known flower.
My love is a rose.
Note #2--the third person singular ( he, she, it ) form of "rose" would be "he rose"--
 At 6 o'clock, he rose.
not to be confused with "heroes", as in sandwiches or doers of mighty deeds--
My heroes have always been cowboys.
Note # 3--"risen" is a past participle of "rose"--always used with a "helper" verb ( action word )--
He is risen.
He has risen.
Note # 4--yet more possible confusion--"rows", as in rows of chairs ( rhymes with "rose" )--
We arranged the chairs in neat rows.