Recently we were in a business meeting discussing important past decisions when someone observed, "Well, hindsight is 50-50." We were once in a room with other well-wishers, when one person raised his glass toward the guest of honor and exclaimed "Molotov!" The Aflac duck would've been right at home. Here is a list of words even smart people like you sometimes mix up.

peaceable; peaceful. A peaceable person or nation is inclined to avoid strife {peaceable kingdom}. A peaceful person, place, or event is serene, tranquil, and calm {a peaceful day free from demands}.

compliment; complement. A compliment is an expression of esteem or an admiring remark {he complimented her on her choice of skis}. A complement is something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect, or the quantity, number, or assortment required to make a thing complete {her tan jacket complemented her brown slacks}.

pendant, n.; pendent, adj. A pendant is an item of dangling jewelry, especially one worn around the neck. What is pendent is hanging or suspended.

people; persons. The traditional view is that persons is used for smaller numbers {three persons}, and people with larger ones {millions of people}. But today most people use people even for small groups {only three people were there}.

pertain; appertain. Pertain to, the more common term, means "to relate to" {the clause pertains to assignment of risk}. Appertain to means "to belong to by right" {the defendant's rights appertaining to the Fifth Amendment}.

partly; partially. Both words convey the sense "to some extent; in part" {partly disposed of}. Partly is preferred in that sense. But partially has the additional sense of "incomplete" {partially cooked} and "unfairly; in a way that shows bias toward one side" {he treats his friends partially}.

over. As an equivalent of more than, this word is perfectly good idiomatic English. [Ed. note: Don't use over when you want to avoid idiomatic English. Use more than instead {He saved more than 200 people in his career as a lifeguard}.]

overly. Avoid this word, which is widely considered poor usage. Try over as a prefix or unduly.

in the process of. You can almost always delete this phrase without affecting the meaning.

regrettable; regretful. What is regrettable is unfortunate or deplorable. A person who is regretful feels regret or sorrow for something done or lost. The adverb regrettably, not regretfully, is the synonym of unfortunately.

home in. This phrase is frequently misrendered hone in. (Hone means "to sharpen." Never say "We will hone in on the solution this afternoon.") Home in refers to what homing pigeons do; the meaning is "to come closer and closer to a target."

irregardless. An error. A nonword. Never utter this nonword. Use regardless (or possibly irrespective).

gourmet; gourmand. Both are aficionados of good food and drink. But a gourmet knows and appreciates the fine points of food and drink, whereas a gourmand is a glutton.

fortuitous; fortunate. Fortuitous means "by chance," whether the fortune is good or bad {the rotten tree could have fallen at any time; it was just fortuitous that the victims drove by when they did}. Fortunate means "blessed by good fortune" {we were fortunate to win the raffle}.

Waterloo

On June 18, 1815, at Waterloo in Belgium, Napoleon Bonaparte suffered defeat at the hands of the Duke of Wellington, bringing an end to the Napoleonic era of European history. Will you suffer defeat at the hands of our test maker today? And can you detect the theme of our list?

1. annular: (a) occurring once each year; (b) stiff in character or manner; (c) having one or more angles; (d) of, relating to, or forming a ring.

2. ampoule: (a) a brace or a line used in music to join two or more staffs carrying simultaneous parts; (b) a European plum with small ovoid fruit in clusters; (c) a yellowish-brown to dark brown pigment used in art; (d) a hermetically sealed small bulbous glass vessel that is used to hold a solution for hypodermic injection.

3. animalier: (a) a large hood worn by women in the 18th century; (b) a sculptor or painter of animal subjects; (c) marked by or expressive of exuberance and high spirits; (d) one who maintains or cares for animals in a zoo.

4. aphorism: (a) a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment; (b) a nonessential property or quality of an entity or circumstance; (c) a small group of stars; (d) a witty or well-turned phrase.

5. argent: (a) an alloy of silver containing more than 50 percent of copper by weight; (b) a coarse woolen or cotton fabric napped to imitate felt; (c) the heraldic color silver or white; (d) a fillet or band especially for the hair.

6. assuage: (a) to be present in large numbers or in great quantity; (b) to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice; (c) to approach and speak to often in a challenging or aggressive way; (d) to put an end to by satisfying.

7. aubergine: (a) eggplant; (b) squash; (c) reddish in color; (d) a subtle aroma or quality (as of an artistic performance).

8. affiant: (a) a woman of the middle class; (b) one who swears to an affidavit; (c) one who attends or assists; (d) a fine lustrous woolen.

9. aggrandize: (a) to give pain or trouble to; (b) to face in defiance; (c) to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of; (d) to end the observance or effect of.

10. aigrette: (a) a spray of gems worn on a hat or in the hair; (b) any of a genus of herbs of the rose family having compound leaves, slender spikes of small yellow flowers, and fruits like burs; (c) a small medallion with a profiled head in relief; (d) a protein found in egg white that inactivates biotin by combining with it.

Click here for the answers to today's vocabulary test.