I’m not sure what it is about this topic, but it comes up year after year around the holidays. Today we’re talking about “fleshing out” vs. “flushing out.” Merriam-Webster’s list of Top 10 Commonly Confused Words of last year rated it the number one most confusing set of terms. Here is their explanation:
Flesh Out vs. Flush Out
Question:
To provide more details, should you flush out or flesh out your plan?
Answer:
flesh out
How to remember it:
Think of fleshing out a skeleton. To flesh out something is to give it substance, or to make it fuller or more nearly complete.
To flush out something is to cause it to leave a hiding place, e.g., "The birds were flushed out of the tree." It can also be used figuratively, as in "flush out the truth."
For my last article on this topic (complete with the Ty-D-Bol man) see:
https://episystechpubs.com/2012/12/05/editors-corner-flesh-and-flush/
Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
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