I've been reading too much online material lately, so much that I have begun to doubt my own use of the words "lose" and "loose". It seems like almost everyone uses "loose" when writing of having misplaced something, to the point that when I use "lose", I question my choice of the word. I'm losing? loosing? my grasp on those words! "Lose", which I learned 59 years ago, has begun to look strange, to have no meaning!
Listen up, folks! "Loose" (the "s" is pronounced as "ess") means to FREE something. "Lose" (the "s" is pronounced as "zee") means to MISPLACE it.
When you set a dog free from his leash, you LOOSE him. You loosened his bonds. You set him loose. If he runs off and fails to return, you LOSE him. He is lost. You suffer a loss.
It might help to associate "loose" with "noose". Please loose me from this noose. Loosen the noose. Otherwise, I am lost. My family will lose me.
Please, if "lose" looks strange to you, too, look it up in a dictionary. Help save an important word.
(Insert silent scream here.)
~~Silk
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