OxBlog

Sunday, February 01, 2004

# Posted 11:54 PM by Ariel David Adesnik  

CORRECTION CORRECTED: MM writes that
"Distractable" is a recognized variant spelling of "distractible," and not incorrect at all.

As Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary put it (see near the end of the definition):
dis.tract vt [ME, fr. L distractus, pp. of distrahere, lit.,
to draw apart, fr. dis- + trahere to draw] (14c) 1 a: to turn
aside: divert b: to draw or direct (as one's attention) to a
different object or in different directions at the same time
2: to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives
syn see puzzle -- dis.tract.i.bil.i.ty n -- dis.tract.ible
or dis.tract.able adj -- dis.tract.ing.ly adv
Fine by me. I just feel bad for the kid who got tossed in the first round of the National Spelling Bee for using an acceptable variant.
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