different between mistake vs pratfall
mistake
English
Etymology
From Middle English mistaken, from Old Norse mistaka (“to take in error, to miscarry”); equivalent to mis- +? take. Cognate with Icelandic mistaka (“to mistake”), Swedish missta (“to mistake”) (before apocope misstaga). Displaced Middle English misnimen and Middle English misf?n from Old English misf?n (and noun misfeng).
The noun, which replaced earlier mistaking, is derived from the verb.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /m??ste?k/
- Rhymes: -e?k
Verb
mistake (third-person singular simple present mistakes, present participle mistaking, simple past mistook, past participle mistaken)
- (transitive) To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2,[1]
- My father’s purposes have been mistook;
- 1777, Samuel Johnson, “Life of the Author” in The Works of Richard Savage with an Account of the Life and Writings of the Author, London: T. Evans, Volume I, p. lxi,[2]
- The reigning error of his life was, that he mistook the love for the practice of virtue, and was indeed not so much a good man, as the friend of goodness.
- c. 1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2,[1]
- (transitive, obsolete) To misunderstand (someone).
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act II, Scene 3,[3]
- Mistake me not, my lord; ’tis not my meaning
- To raze one title of your honour out:
- 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, Dublin: John Smith, Volume 1, Book 3, Chapter 6, pp. 122-123,[4]
- […] at last she so evidently demonstrated her Affection to him to be much stronger than what she bore her own Son, that it was impossible to mistake her any longer.
- c. 1595, William Shakespeare, Richard II, Act II, Scene 3,[3]
- (intransitive, obsolete) To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
- c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, Act V, Scene 1,[5]
- Impose me to what penance your invention
- Can lay upon my sin: yet sinn’d I not
- But in mistaking.
- 1720, Jonathan Swift, “Letter to a Young Clergyman” in The Works of Jonathan Swift, London: Charles Elliot, 1784, Volume 10, pp. 6-7,[6]
- No gentleman thinks it is safe or prudent to send a servant with a message, without repeating it more than once, and endeavouring to put it into terms brought down to the capacity of the bearer; yet, after all this care, it is frequent for servants to mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstandings among friends […]
- c. 1598, William Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing, Act V, Scene 1,[5]
- (obsolete, rare) To take or choose wrongly.
- c. 1596, William Shakespeare, King John, Act III, Scene 1,[7]
- The better act of purposes mistook
- Is to mistake again; though indirect,
- Yet indirection thereby grows direct,
- 1716, Alexander Pope (translator), The Iliad of Homer, London: Bernard Lintott, Volume 2, Book 8, lines 151-152, p. 252,[8]
- The Spear with erring Haste mistook its way,
- But plung’d in Eniopeus’ Bosom lay.
- c. 1596, William Shakespeare, King John, Act III, Scene 1,[7]
Translations
Related terms
- mistaken
Noun
mistake (plural mistakes)
- An error; a blunder.
- 1877, Henry Heth, quoting Robert E. Lee, in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones [9]
- After it is all over, as stupid a fellow as I am can see that mistakes were made. I notice, however, that my mistakes are never told me until it is too late.
- 1877, Henry Heth, quoting Robert E. Lee, in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones [9]
- (baseball) A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard-to-hit location, but instead ends up in an easy-to-hit place.
Usage notes
- Usually make a mistake. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take
Synonyms
- See also Thesaurus:error
Derived terms
- mistakeless
- make no mistake
- spelling mistake
Translations
Anagrams
- ketmias, makes it
French
Etymology
Borrowed from English mistake.
Noun
mistake m (plural mistakes)
- (Louisiana, Cajun French) error, mistake
mistake From the web:
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pratfall
English
Alternative forms
- prat-fall
- pratt-fall
Etymology
prat +? fall
Noun
pratfall (plural pratfalls)
- A fall onto the buttocks.
- A humiliating mistake.
- A staged trip or fall, often for comedic purposes.
- The motivational speaker started with a pratfall so he could speak about the importance of getting back up.
Synonyms
- (a humiliating mistake): blunder, howler
Translations
Verb
pratfall (third-person singular simple present pratfalls, present participle pratfalling, simple past pratfell, past participle pratfallen)
- To fall on to the buttocks.
Derived terms
- prat-fallen
- prat-falling
Translations
pratfall From the web:
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- what is pratfall may be done for crossword
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