Udder/Udderly
vs. Utter/Utterly
Wrong: That’s udder nonsense!
Right: That’s utter nonsense!
Wrong: She was udderly oblivious to the destruction
behind her.
Right: She was utterly oblivious to the destruction
behind her.
Don’t laugh! I’ve seen
this entirely too many times. An udder
is the large baglike mammary gland (teat) of female cows, sheep, goats, and
other four-legged mammals. Udderly
isn’t even a word. Utter has several meanings, including (as a verb) to produce
audible sounds or speak, and (as an adjective) complete, total, or unconditional.
Utterly is an adverb meaning
completely, totally, or absolutely. This is a case where “udder nonsense” is utterly
nonsensical.
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