Editor's Corner

Good morning!

I was looking through a list of common grammar mistakes this morning, and I stumbled on two commonly misunderstood and misused words: envy and jealousy.

According to a column called 20 Common Grammar Mistakes That (Almost) Every Makes by Jon Gingerich: “The word ‘envy’ implies a longing for someone else’s good fortunes. ‘Jealousy’ is far more nefarious. It’s a fear of rivalry, often present in sexual situations. ‘Envy’ is when you covet your friend’s good looks. ‘Jealousy’ is what happens when your significant other swoons over your good-looking friend.”

So it turns out that I am envious (not jealous) that Kara is enjoying an exciting vacation in the United Kingdom.

Jealousy is what happens to my husband whenever I mention one of my ex-boyfriends (at every family get-together). I don’t have an actual photo of my husband to share, but this is what his jealous face looks like:

Donna Bradley Burcher | Technical Editor, Adv. | Symitar®

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