Diagnosis vs. prognosis

Diagnosis vs. prognosis－

diagnosis(病症的)診斷：

What is the diagnosis of his illness?
He has a mild heart attack.

prognosis(病症後續治療的)的診斷：

What is the prognosis?
He will have a full recovery after the operation.

Tortoise vs. turtle/陸龜vs.海龜

Tortoise/ˈtɔː.təs/ vs. turtle/陸龜vs.海龜，又是兩個我常搞不清楚的動物，tortoise和turtle原來是用居住地分別的啊～

Aligator vs. crocodile/短吻鱷vs.鱷魚

Aligator vs. crocodile/短吻鱷vs.鱷魚，對動物不是很熟，也有點怕爬蟲類動物，但很長聽到aligator和cocodile，不過我們常聽到的鱷魚應該是crocodile(尖嘴、褐綠色)，aligator/短吻鱷，通常是黑灰色和U形嘴。

Schedule vs. itinerary vs. agenda vs. timetable

Schedule/行程(表) vs. itinerary/旅行計劃 vs. agenda/議程vs. timetable/時刻表：

1. schedule/行程/時程(表)，表示一連串活動/事件發生的時間(可能包含地點)，多用在工作或事件時間的排程或進度上；(美)可用在交通工具時間表或學校課程表上。

Could you help fit me into his tight schedule?
I expect this project to be finished on schedule.
What's Tim's class schedule this semester?
Here is the schedule of city bus(US).

2. itinerary(n.a.)/旅行計劃(的)，多用在旅程相關的活動計劃/時間安排上，包含遊玩與出差的行程：

The travel agent will have my itinerary ready tomorrow morning.
Your flight no. will be shown on your itinerary.

3. agenda/議程(表)/日常工作項目，多出現在會議裡面，指的是一連串需要被討論的事情(可能有或沒有表定的時間)。"agenda"與"schedule"用法的差異，通常在你的行程(schedule)裡會有很多會議(meeting)，但一個會議只有一個議程(agenda)；agenda另外也用在日常生活工作項目：

The agenda of this meeting will be emailed to you a week before the meeting time.
The boss would like us to list our agendas of today first.

4. Timetable/時間表/時刻表/課程表，一連串事件或計劃發生的時間表，(英)常用在交通工具時程與學校課程表上：

I wish I did not have a busy timetable next month.
Excuses me, where can I get the timetable for the train to London?
I have "Introduction to British Literature"on my timetable every Monday morning this semester.


On my mind:
I never think it will be this complicated. Originally, I am just curious about the different usage between "schedule" and "itinerary". It turns out that "agenda" and "timetable"appears in the usage discussion as well. Since I am going to deal with them, it is better to deal with them all at once.

Proof(C or U)vs. evidence(U)/證據/證明

Proof(C or U)vs. evidence(U)/證據/證明，昨天突然想到以前好像沒有想到去分別兩個字的異同，認真的跟google大神請教了一下，就我的了解，當你有了proof，表示你有確切證據，可以證明一件事情的真實與否，而evidence只是能證明某件事情真偽的證據之一，換句話說，你可能需要很多evidence，才算有proof可以證明某件事的真假：

His finger print is a piece of evidence that shows he was in the victim's house last night.

The knife with his finger print and victim's blood on it is a solid proof that he murdered the victim.


Additional note:
在科學領域，只有evidence但沒有proof，因為科學沒有絕對的真與假，所有結果都是推論或實驗而來，同步提供大家參考了。

Except vs. except for

Except vs. except for用法的差別，雖然很用力的請教google大神，但還是沒有很確定的答案，先跟大家分享一下目前覺得比較make sense的分別方式，如果有更好的解釋，歡迎大家提供囉：

(1) except/except for (整體裡除了....)
     Everyone was invited to the party except (for) Mary.

(2) except for (were it not for)
     I would have arrived the restaurant on time except for the busy traffic.


Additional note:
以上只是except一部分的用法，其他部分需要另外查詢字典囉。

There be vs. have/有

There be vs. have/有，There be 多用在「存在」，have/has 用在「所有/屬關係」：

There are four trees in the garden.

I have a bicycle.

Additional note:
(1)There are four rooms in the building.
(2)The building has four rooms.
以上兩種說法都是可以的，但(1)重點放在room/房間，(2)重點放在building/建築。

See a movie vs. watch a movie

See a movie vs. watch a movie兩種說法都是可以的，不過see a movie通常用在比較大的地方，像是電影院，watch a movie則多是在家裡看電視轉播或者租片子看囉：

We went to see a movie in the theater tonight. 

We watched a movie on HBO tonight. 

Sample vs. swatch

Sample and swatch，中文都叫樣本或樣品，但sample比較是通稱，swatch則常用來指被裁成小塊布(常集結成冊)的樣品布，或者印刷業，用來比對顏料和紙材的樣品紙或色卡:

"Swatch" is a sample of cloth used as an example to demonstrate the color, pattern, and texture of a fabric.

On my mind: 

Does anyone know that the famous watch brand "Swatch" has anything to do with the word we just learnt? 

Palette/調色盤

Palette/調色盤，昨天在瀏覽時尚彩妝網站的時候看到一個產品"eyeshadow palette"，對於palette這個字有點陌生，原來就是以前上美術課常用到的調色盤，在彩妝上很好用，eyeshadow palette就是眼影盤，lip palette就是唇彩盤了。

Additional note: palate/味覺，發音和palette完全一樣，也很容易拼錯，提供大家參考～

On my mind:
Yesterday, when I was checking on some fashion blogs, I  came across a makeup product, "eyeshadow palette". I usually look up the word that I am not sure about in the dictionary or on the Internet. I started this blog to sort of "jot down"what I learnt in case I need to refresh my memory or double check them. "Palette" was chosen as the first entry of my 730 Project as I was kinda confused it with the other word, "palate". As their pronunciations are identical, guess it makes me less guilty about confusing them.

Anyhow, I am not good at fashion or makeup stuff, but I love seeing people dressing themselves with style and personality. I used to rent magazines in the rental shop every month. After Mr. R introduced me Pinterest and Feedly, I am able to browse fashion websites and blogs at home like every day. What's more exciting (or helpful) is that I could access fashion information from around the world with Pinterest and Feedly. It helps me expand my vocabulary/knowledge in fashion. In short, there should be more entries in fashion in the near future. This entry only serves as the first step to this category as well as to this whole new project.

Vanilla extract vs. vanilla essence/香草精(n.)

Vanilla extract vs. vanilla essence/香草精(n.)，雖然對廚藝只在超級初階，但好奇遇到這兩個產品，還是跟google大神請教了一下，原來vanilla extract大多是是用天然香草籽萃取出的第一道香草精，vanilla essesnce則是用香草籽渣萃取出的第二或三道，且加上化學香料調味的香草精，唉，是不是跟之前的棉籽油和橄欖油事件有點相似啊～～～

Surgery vs. operation

Surgery[U] vs. operation[C]，surgery是手術的通稱，且不可數，She underwent surgery on her right ankle after the car accident。Operation通常指特定的手術，為可數名詞，His left knee has gone through several operations.

好色的/lecherous/libidinous/lascivious/lubricious/licentious/lewd/lustful/

好色的/lecherous/libidinous/lascivious/lubricious/licentious/lewd/lustful：
1. He gave her a lecherous look.
2. Libidinous behavior toward underage girls is considered a common law offense.
3. A lascivious art exhibition is held in the museum now.
4. A lubricious movie is not for underage kids.
5. A licentious talk is usually inappropriate in formal occasion.
6. Performing a lewd act is not proper in public places.
7. The actress throws a lustful glance to the protagonist in the movie.

Pyromania vs. incendiarism vs. arson

Pyromania/縱火癖 vs. incendiarism/ (報復性)縱火 vs. arson/(詐騙或利益性)縱火罪:
1. A pyromaniac sets fire because he cannot resist compulsive desire for fames.
2. A incendiary sets fire because he wants to take revenge on someone or for something.
3. A arsonist sets fire because he wants to gain money like an insurance fraud.

Cogent vs. eloquent

Cogent/(說話)有信服力的 vs. eloquent(說話)有說服力的，單看中文，很難知道兩個字的差別，簡單來說，cogent是因為使用道理和邏輯而有信服力，eloquent則比較是因為語言運用或情感訴求成功而有說服力。

Malicious, malignant, malign, malevolent, and maleficent

Malicious, malignant, malign, and malevolent，都來自拉丁字根malus, 每個字都有惡意的意思，但用法有一些差別：

1. malicious/惡意的/蓄意作惡的(通常和人或動物以及他們的行為有關)：
    His words are malicious and unkind.

2. malign/惡意的(多用在和天性、影響相關的事物上，但也有純指惡意的舉止)：
    Monsters in ancient stories tend to be depicted with malign nature.

3. Malignant/惡性的(多用在醫學或疾病上，但也可與malign互用)：
    A malignant tumor is usually fetal.

4. Malevolent/惡意的(跟拉丁字根volo，to wish and to will結合，多用在一般惡意但並未實際造成傷害的行為上)：
    She gave her a malevolent look.

5. Maleficent/作惡的(跟拉丁字根facio、factu，to do or to make，多用在已進行或已造成傷害的惡意的行為上):
    We should not encourage maleficent deeds.

Imaginable, imaginary, and imaginative

前天我的大姪女問了一個超好的問題，imaginable, imaginary, and imaginative的差別，其實大家如果有同義詞的問題，查英漢字典可能比較難分辨，但英英字典一般就蠻清楚的：

Imaginable/想像的到的，The shop sells candies in every flavor imaginable.

Imaginary/幻想(想像)出來的，Many children have imaginary friends.

Imaginative/富有想像力(創造力)的，She is an imaginative designer.

Use vs. usage

今天拜訪了Google大神了解一下use and usage用法的差別，沒有查到真的很清楚的分別方法，但是一般來說，usage比較常用在以下一些情況：

1. 習慣或習俗(habitual or customary practice)，the usage of social media is on the rise. 

2. (語言)用法或慣用語："Lift" is a British usage of electronic device that carries people up and down a building. 

3. 使用或對待方式：The washing machine was damaged out of rough usage.

Use的使用範圍相對寬廣，可以當名詞或動詞使用，基本上，中文的「使用」和「用法」都可以用use，如果不清楚要用use or usage，可能使用use比較不容易有問題囉。

Dilemma vs. predicament

Dilemma／困境，難以在兩個(或兩個以上)選擇之中抉擇的困境；predicament/困境/窘境，面臨尷尬或困難的狀況，通常不涉及選擇。

Staff vs. staffer

以前唸書只學過staff，但今天偶然看到staffer，但其實分別好像還算簡單，staff通常是指一個公司或組織員工(複數)，staffer則是指單一員工，不過staffer多用在政府組織與媒體公司。