#MonMud
Monday Muddle: pair, pare, pear

pair: (noun) a set of two identical, similar, or coordinating items

pare: (verb) to cut away the outer layer or edge (with a paring knife); to reduce (used in the expression "pare down")

pear: (noun) a fruit

#MonMud
October 5, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Monday Muddle: strait, straight

strait: (noun) a narrow body of water that connects two larger bodies of water
Used in the expression "dire straits."

straight: (adj.) (adverb) moving in one direction; level; upright; not crooked, curved, or bent
NOT used in the expression "dire straits."

#MonMud
September 28, 2026 at 12:43 PM
grammer: (noun) an affectionate term for someone who uses Instagram (who may or may not care about grammar)

#MonMud
September 21, 2026 at 1:11 PM
their: (possessive adjective) to show possession of something by someone who would be referred to as they

they're: (contraction) they are

#MonMud
September 14, 2026 at 12:33 PM
roux: (noun) a mixture of butter (or butter substitute) and flour used as a base for making sauces
NOT used in the expression "rue the day."

#MonMud
September 7, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Monday Muddle: overdo, overdue

overdo: (verb) to do something in an excessive way; to exaggerate; to do more than reasonably expected

overdue: (adjective) not done on time; not arrived when expected; not available when needed; late

#MonMud
August 31, 2026 at 12:29 PM
Monday Muddle : stationary, stationery

stationary: (adjective) not moving; intended to stay in one place; unchanging; in a permanent position

stationery: (noun) writing paper; envelopes; writing materials (pens, pencils); office supplies

#MonMud
August 24, 2026 at 1:53 PM
effect: (noun) end result; consequence; change resulting from an action or other cause; used in the term "special effects"; (verb) to cause something to happen; usually used in the expression
"to effect change"

#MonMud
August 17, 2026 at 2:23 PM
nothing: (pronoun) not a thing; not anything; something of no value (can also be used as an adjective and adverb) 
NOT part of the expression “also worth noting” and in fact would mean the opposite.

#MonMud
August 10, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Monday Muddle : hummus, humus

hummus: (noun) food originating from the Middle East used as a dip or spread; made primarily from mashed chickpeas

humus: (noun) organic matter that is left after plants, leaves, animals and insects have decayed; used to add nutrients to soil

#MonMud
August 3, 2026 at 12:18 PM
unchartered: (adjective)(uncommon, at least in its correct sense) describes an organization that does not have a charter or written constitution
Not used in the expression uncharted territory.

#MonMud
July 27, 2026 at 12:30 PM
fear: (noun) feeling of imminent danger; anxiety; concern; (verb) to be afraid; to expect danger, unpleasantness; to revere

#MonMud
July 20, 2026 at 10:38 AM
split: (verb) to break or tear into parts; to divide into shares; to separate; (noun) a break or tear

#MonMud
July 13, 2026 at 10:28 AM
fictive: (adjective) relates to a specific fictional element (e.g., fictive kinship)

#MonMud
July 6, 2026 at 11:44 AM
break: (noun) a pause at work; an interruption or disruption of progress; a crack or fracture; a change that potentially leads to something better; (verb) to damage, crack, fracture or divide into pieces; to interrupt; to pause

#MonMud
June 29, 2026 at 8:41 PM
dug out: (verb phrase) (past tense of "dig out") moved material, often dirt or snow, in order to find or release something

#MonMud
June 22, 2026 at 11:12 AM
worst: (adverb) the most seriously; the most severely; the least satisfactorily; (noun) the most serious, severe, or unsatisfactory

wurst: (noun) sausage from Germany or Austria

#MonMud
June 15, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Monday Muddle: browse, brows

browse: (verb) to look through items in a casual way; to examine what is for sale before buying; to look through websites on the internet

brow (plural: brows): (noun) the top of a hill; a forehead; often used in the plural as a short form for eyebrows

#MonMud
June 8, 2026 at 12:05 PM
stock: (noun) goods or inventory kept available for sale or use; (finance) shares of a company; (culinary) the base of a soup, sauce, or stew; (verb) to keep a supply of items to have on hand or make available for sale (eg. to stock shelves in a store)

#MonMud
June 1, 2026 at 11:49 AM
Monday Muddle: rational, rationale

rational: (adjective) reasonable; logical; sensible; able to think clearly; (noun) a rational number

rationale: (noun) the reasons or thoughts that lead to making a decision, taking an action, or holding a belief; the logical basis for taking an action

#MonMud
May 25, 2026 at 12:04 PM
wonder: (noun) a sense of awe, amazement, surprise, or admiration, usually at experiencing something inexplicable or out of the ordinary and often beautiful; (verb) to be curious; to want to know; to want to get information or an explanation

#MonMud
May 18, 2026 at 11:35 AM
tutor: (noun) a private teacher usually teaching one or a small number of students; (verb) to teach one or a small number of students outside a traditional classroom setting

#MonMud
May 11, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Monday Muddle: wary, weary

wary: (adjective) cautious; aware of possible problems; having realistic suspicions; vigilant; alert; watchful

weary: (adjective) tired; exhausted; fatigued; sleepy; lacking energy

#MonMud
May 4, 2026 at 11:50 AM
Monday Muddle: exacerbate, exasperate

exacerbate: (verb) to make a negative situation worse; to increase the severity of a problem; to aggravate (a situation); to complicate

exasperate: (verb) to cause someone to lose patience; to frustrate; to aggravate (a person); to irritate; to annoy

#MonMud
April 27, 2026 at 12:30 PM
backlog: (noun) (general) an accumulation of unfinished tasks or unfilled orders; (project management) list of what needs to be done to complete a project

#MonMud
April 20, 2026 at 2:52 PM