Flummoxed

Without checking your online dictionaries or consulting your linguist sons (You do have one of those, don’t you? Because I sure do…), I’m hoping you’ll answer my pop quiz for the day.

My question concerns the usage of the words ingulge and endulge.

To my mind, the difficulty here is the same as with the words insure and ensure. I was taught (and still practice) that insure is only used as a verb if one is literally speaking about an insurance product. “I’ve decided to insure my car with Geico.” In all cases in which a verb is not meant to convey the idea of procuring insurance, the correct word is ensure. “I’d like to ensure that I use the correct word.”

My understanding of indulge and endulge is similar. Unless the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet were sadly mistaken, one should use endulge as a verb, and indulge…not. A correct usage, therefore, would be to say, “I think it’s about time for me to endulge in an indulgence.”

What say you?? Did the nuns and my British father ruin me for the language? It wouldn’t matter to me so much, except I’m about to endulge in shipping my book off to my agent and, well, these things matter.

So what do you think? Please, endulge me in a little indulgence.

Posted by Katy on 02/16/08 at 12:27 PM

Fallible Comments...

According to theFreedictionary.com and dictionary.com, endulge is not a word at all.

Weird, huh?
Posted by suzan on 02/16/08 at 01:40 PM
Suzan--OK, but do you FEEL like it's a word??? :) Because I have VERY strong feelings in that direction.....
Posted by Katy on 02/16/08 at 02:05 PM
I know you told us not to check a dictionary but I can't help myself, I'm compulsive. Sorry!

Honestly it really doesn't feel like a word to me, even before I checked the dictionary. It only feels like a word when I look at the label of my Atkins Endulge Bar! LOL

Other words feel right but they're not, like toward and towards. I always want to say towards, but toward is the better word.

So I understand what you are saying. I'm just a little brain fogged this weekend...

Sorry, I'm really being a pill, aren't I?
Posted by suzan on 02/17/08 at 01:22 PM
Suzan--I must be nuts. Have I REALLY been doing Atkins THAT long??? Ha. It's been 8 years, and while I've lusted over my share of Endulge chocolate bars, I've only ever endulged in a few.... :0 :)

As a consolation for my obvious boo-boo, I googled British+endulge and came up with a ton of instances in which bona fide British journalists use the word "endulge."

So I MUST have gotten this from my father. An inherited disorder, we'll call it!!! Live and learn....
Posted by Katy on 02/17/08 at 01:35 PM
Seriously, I do not function without my online Merriam Webster's and my CMS. I've always been in the camp that thinks "Why waste valuable brain space on information that's available at my fingertips anyway?" Hence I cannot indulge you in your request for non-dictionary-answers. (And I do not have a son.) I do, however, have some Atkins bars and I can see where you've been misled. Blame the dear, late Dr. Atkins.
Posted by Rachelle Gardner on 02/19/08 at 07:29 AM
Rachelle--What's so weird is that I never even suspected the word endulge was not, technically, a word!! I do look up words I have ANY doubt about, but I had NO doubts at all about endulge. I think in my novel I used the word "indulge" once, but in the editing process, I decided it looked wrong to me. I'm pretty sure I replaced it (not with endulge!) in protest, because honestly, I cannot in good conscience promote the common usage of words that just feel wrong. Ha!!
Posted by Katy on 02/19/08 at 08:26 AM
Rachelle--I am going to start taking the Chicago Manual of Style to bed with me. Right now, I need to look up whether it's preferable to use "OK" or "okay." I have other issues, too.... :)
Posted by Katy on 02/19/08 at 08:48 AM
Here goes, from the English teacher...
This is straight from my "The Wrong Word Dictionary" in my classroom...

Assure: means to make confident or promise something
Ensure: means to make certain something will happen
Insure: means to buy insurance
Posted by Bridget on 02/19/08 at 01:54 PM
here is an <a href="http://www.dictionarist.com">Online Talking Dictionary</a>
Posted by firefox on 02/21/08 at 12:46 PM
I frequently use indulge, I think I've never used endulge before.

I'm confused. hmmmmmm....
Posted by Facilitators on 11/25/08 at 02:32 PM

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Personal blog of christian writer & fallible mom Katy McKenna Raymond in Kansas City, Missouri Katy is represented by Greg Johnson at WordServe Literary Read more Katy at LateBoomer.net Follow Katy on Twitter Follow Katy on Facebook 123 Recent Posts Try Becoming Brenda Starr Off Beat Scattered That’s It So I’ve Finally Signed With An Agent. Now What? The Spoon Sciatica Sweetheart A Woman’s Train of Thought Has No Caboose However much we own, we are all still living on borrowed time After all, when restaurants shrink portions, they don’t shrink prices. As with everything in life, balance is key. Slow down, you move too fast… Yeah, I know. I have issues. Search Advanced Search Syndicate Login E me at katy @ ngenius.com	Flummoxed Without checking your online dictionaries or consulting your linguist sons (You do have one of those, don’t you? Because I sure do…), I’m hoping you’ll answer my pop quiz for the day. My question concerns the usage of the words ingulge and endulge. To my mind, the difficulty here is the same as with the words insure and ensure. I was taught (and still practice) that insure is only used as a verb if one is literally speaking about an insurance product. “I’ve decided to insure my car with Geico.” In all cases in which a verb is not meant to convey the idea of procuring insurance, the correct word is ensure. “I’d like to ensure that I use the correct word.” My understanding of indulge and endulge is similar. Unless the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet were sadly mistaken, one should use endulge as a verb, and indulge…not. A correct usage, therefore, would be to say, “I think it’s about time for me to endulge in an indulgence.” What say you?? Did the nuns and my British father ruin me for the language? It wouldn’t matter to me so much, except I’m about to endulge in shipping my book off to my agent and, well, these things matter. So what do you think? Please, endulge me in a little indulgence. Posted by Katy on 02/16/08 at 12:27 PM Fallible Comments... According to theFreedictionary.com and dictionary.com, endulge is not a word at all. Weird, huh? Posted by suzan on 02/16/08 at 01:40 PM Suzan--OK, but do you FEEL like it's a word??? :) Because I have VERY strong feelings in that direction..... Posted by Katy on 02/16/08 at 02:05 PM I know you told us not to check a dictionary but I can't help myself, I'm compulsive. Sorry! Honestly it really doesn't feel like a word to me, even before I checked the dictionary. It only feels like a word when I look at the label of my Atkins Endulge Bar! LOL Other words feel right but they're not, like toward and towards. I always want to say towards, but toward is the better word. So I understand what you are saying. I'm just a little brain fogged this weekend... Sorry, I'm really being a pill, aren't I? Posted by suzan on 02/17/08 at 01:22 PM Suzan--I must be nuts. Have I REALLY been doing Atkins THAT long??? Ha. It's been 8 years, and while I've lusted over my share of Endulge chocolate bars, I've only ever endulged in a few.... :0 :) As a consolation for my obvious boo-boo, I googled British+endulge and came up with a ton of instances in which bona fide British journalists use the word "endulge." So I MUST have gotten this from my father. An inherited disorder, we'll call it!!! Live and learn.... Posted by Katy on 02/17/08 at 01:35 PM Seriously, I do not function without my online Merriam Webster's and my CMS. I've always been in the camp that thinks "Why waste valuable brain space on information that's available at my fingertips anyway?" Hence I cannot indulge you in your request for non-dictionary-answers. (And I do not have a son.) I do, however, have some Atkins bars and I can see where you've been misled. Blame the dear, late Dr. Atkins. Posted by Rachelle Gardner on 02/19/08 at 07:29 AM Rachelle--What's so weird is that I never even suspected the word endulge was not, technically, a word!! I do look up words I have ANY doubt about, but I had NO doubts at all about endulge. I think in my novel I used the word "indulge" once, but in the editing process, I decided it looked wrong to me. I'm pretty sure I replaced it (not with endulge!) in protest, because honestly, I cannot in good conscience promote the common usage of words that just feel wrong. Ha!! Posted by Katy on 02/19/08 at 08:26 AM Rachelle--I am going to start taking the Chicago Manual of Style to bed with me. Right now, I need to look up whether it's preferable to use "OK" or "okay." I have other issues, too.... :) Posted by Katy on 02/19/08 at 08:48 AM Here goes, from the English teacher... This is straight from my "The Wrong Word Dictionary" in my classroom... Assure: means to make confident or promise something Ensure: means to make certain something will happen Insure: means to buy insurance Posted by Bridget on 02/19/08 at 01:54 PM here is an <a href="http://www.dictionarist.com">Online Talking Dictionary</a> Posted by firefox on 02/21/08 at 12:46 PM I frequently use indulge, I think I've never used endulge before. I'm confused. hmmmmmm.... Posted by Facilitators on 11/25/08 at 02:32 PM Page 1 of 1 pages Commenting is not available in this weblog entry. Next entry: It's The Meme Thing! Previous entry: Bath Day For The Moms << Back to main


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Personal blog of christianwriter & fallible momKaty McKenna Raymondin Kansas City, Missouri

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Flummoxed

Personal blog of christian
writer & fallible mom
Katy McKenna Raymond
in Kansas City, Missouri