Confusing Words Clarified Group Y
y'all, you-all, yaw
y'all (YAWL)
Used as a contraction of you all: "The waiter came back to our table and said, Are y'all ready to order?"
"Later, he said, Did y'all have enough to eat?"
"The term, y'all is used primarily in speech in the Southern states of the U.S. to address two or more people."
you-all (YOO AWL, YAWL)
A term often used in the Southern parts of the U.S.: "When we went to a restaurant in New Orleans, the waitress greeted us with How are you-all doing?"
"Actually, she might have said, How are y'all doing? which is really the same thing."
yaw (YAW)
1. The movement of an airplane, ship, etc., to the left or to the right; especially, an unwanted left or right movement: "Sensors are used to measure the pitch and yaw of the air craft."
"The ship's rudder is used to control yaw."
2. To swerve off course momentarily or temporarily: "We noticed that the ship seemed to yaw as the heavy wave struck its side."
The captain of the ship warned his passengers that there could be a strong yaw when the big waves hit the side of the passenger vessel.
In fact, since he was from Mississippi, he said, "Y'all had better be ready for the big yaw that is about to happen to you-all."
Right after the warning, the ship yawed to the right knocking a lot of people on to the floor.
yak, yak
yak (YAK)
A large wild or domesticated animal that has long hair and curved horns and which lives in central Asia: "Very few words have come into English from the Tibetan language, but yak, the Tibetan name for the bovine Bos grunniens) is one of them and while the word in Tibetan, gyag, applies only to the male, the English version of yak refers to the male and/or the female."
yak (YAK)
To talk in a loud way often for a long time: "Sometimes when people get together for cake and coffee in the afternoon they just love to yak."
"We noticed that many of the people on the subway train would yak and yammer away on their cell phones for a long time."
yank, Yank
yank (YANGK)
1. To suddenly pull something in a quick, forceful way: "Her child tried to yank the door shut."
2. To quickly or to suddenly remove something or someone: "The TV station decided to yank the program from tonight's schedule."
Yank (YANGK)
A short version of, or informal term for, Yankee: "He was chosen as her favorite Yank writer."
"Even though he was a Yank from the North and she was from the South, she loved him very much."
yard, yard
yard (YAHRD)
An outdoor area that is next to a house and is usually covered by grass: "As a kid I just loved playing games in our yard."
yard (YAHRD)
A unit of measurement equal to three feet (0.9144 meters) or 36 inches: "Don't forget to get at least one yard of fabric at the department store when you go there today."
yarn, yarn, yearn
yarn (YAHRN)
A long, thin piece of cotton, wool, etc., that is thicker than thread and which is used for knitting and weaving: "You need a few skeins of yarn to knit that sweater you want."
yarn (YAHRN)
An exciting or interesting story; especially, a story that is so surprising or unusual that it is difficult to believe: "Sailors love to spin one yarn after the other when they are on their voyages to the sea."
yearn (YURN)
To feel a strong desire or wish for something or to do something: "I'm sure I will just yearn for Grandma's apple pie after spending a year abroad."
I yearn to tell you the yarn about the truck driver who was knitting a sweater using multi-colored yarn while he was driving.
Here's the story: To pass the time while he was driving, a long distance truck driver was speeding along the highway knitting a sweater. He apparently was controlling the steering wheel with his knees and not really paying attention to his driving.
A police officer who observed such driving behavior, drove along the side shouting on his speaker, "Pull over! Pull over!"
The truck driver leaned out the window and yelled, "No officer, it's not a pull over, it's a cardigan."
yawning, awning
yawning (YAW ning)
Opening the mouth wide while taking in breath; usually because a person is tired or bored: "The teacher noticed some students yawning during the film presentation."
awning (AW ning)
A piece of cloth on a frame that sticks out over a door or window and provides shelter from the sun, rain, snow, etc.: "It's a good thing that we had the awning to block out some of the sun on this hot day."
yellow, yellow
yellow (YEL oh)
Having the color of the sun or of ripe lemons: "She had a bright yellow hat to go with her yellow raincoat."
yellow (YEL oh)
1. Afraid in a way that makes a person unable to do what is right or expected; cowardly: "She was just too yellow to stand up and protect her rights."
2. Containing news that is meant to shock people and which is not true or is only partly true: "You should beware of yellow journalism."
yelp, yelp
yelp (YELP), verb
To utter a quick, short, sharp bark, or high cry: "You could hear his daughter yelp in shock when the father sprayed her with cold water from the hose as they were playing around in the back yard."
yelp (YELP), noun
A short, sharp cry, or bark: "The dog let out a yelp of pain when he accidentally stepped on its foot."
yen, yen
yen (YEN)
The basic unit of money of Japan: "Did you have difficulty adapting to using the yen while you were in Japan?"
yen (YEN)
A strong desire for something or to do something: "I had a real yen for ice-cream after not eating it for six months."
yoke, yolk, joke
yoke (YOHK)
1. Double harness, coupler, collar, bond, clasp: "The two oxen were put into the yoke." "A rubber yoke held the two wires together."
2. Pair, team, brace, couple: "It takes a yoke of oxen to pull that wagon."
3. Bondage, slavery, enslavement, servitude; serfdom, vassalage: "Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves from their yoke of bondage."
yolk (YOHK)
The yellow, or orange, part in the center of an egg: "Separate the yolk from the white of the egg before you make the final mixture for the cake."
joke (JOHK)
1. Jest, diversion, playful or mischievous trick or remark, facetiousness, frolic; gag, prank, frolic, witticism, farce, : "Wearing his clothes inside out was his idea of a joke."
2. Object of ridicule, a laughing-stock; fool, buffoon, clown, village idiot, bumpkin: "He was the joke of the town because of his silly hair style."
3. Poke fun at, mock, ridicule, laugh at, snicker, jeer at: "They joke about his ineptitude, or lack of training, as a computer technician."
Use caution with yoke and yolk or the joke will be on you!
"A travel writer once wrote about being in Mexico, where 'we saw people carrying baskets on yolks across their shoulders.' The writer 'took pictures of the yolked and harnessed figures.' ""Another writer told of a gentleman who knows when his body needs fuel: He eats 'potatoes, pasta, salad, eggs (without the yokes) and pancakes.' "
"Well, folks, oxen have yokes and eggs have yolks, and anyone who carries baskets on yolks is going to have a messy shirt" . . . and that's no joke!
“Careful, or the yoke may be on you" by James Kilpatrick.
you, ewe, yew
you (YOO)
Used to refer to the person or group of people that is being addressed as the subject of a verb or as the object of a verb or preposition: "Are you all ready to get into the car for the trip?"
ewe (YOO)
A female sheep: "I saw a ewe, a lamb, and only one ram in the field."
yew (YOO)
An evergreen tree or bush with stiff needles and small red berries: "She was using the bow made of yew for her class in archery."
Quick, you must come and see this: a ewe is standing under the yew tree.
you'll, yule
you'll (YOOL)
Used as a contraction of you will: "I hope you'll come to my party on Saturday."
yule (YOOL)
The festival of Christmas: "My mother just loved everything about the Yule season; including, the smell of turkey, family home from afar, and the Christmas tree."
you're, your, yore
you're (YOOR, YOR, YUHR)
Used as a contraction of you are: "She thinks you're a very nice person."
your (YOOR, YOR, YUHR)
Relating to you or belonging to you: "Is this your purse or mine?"."
yore (YOR, YOHR)
Of the past: "In the days of yore the kings and queens had knights who protected them from their enemies."
The message said, "You're invited to the local pageant which tells the tales of yore in a dramatic fashion. Be sure to bring your friend."
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