One term that seems to cause a bit of confusion, each seemingly lending itself to the objective of its meaning, is neither intuitive nor inter-changeable: “flesh it out” versus “flush it out.”
Of course, once it’s pointed out to you, you’ll never make that mistake again. I still recall the day in high school — in government class — when my friend pointed out to me that there is no “s” in anyway(s)! Thanks, Erin!
If you’ve been confused, here’s succor … you’re not alone. In fact, confusion over “flesh” and “flush” is prevalent enough that it made Vol. II of Merriam-Webster’s list of Top 10 Commonly Confused Words.
Saying these two words out loud, it’s easy to hear why they get confused; without careful pronunciation, “flesh” and “flush” sound nearly identical. Add the fact these two words can generally be used in similar contexts doesn’t help.
Get the skinny by clicking on the Read More link below…
To “flesh out” something means to put meat on its bones. Metaphorically, it means to add details or make something more complete. You might meet with your co-workers to flesh out a proposal that you’re working on together.
To “flush out” something can mean several different things: One meaning is “cleaning out the system,” or, you know, like flushing a toilet. Another meaning is to bring something to the foreground, out in the open: You might flush out birds from a tree.
In the metaphorical realm, “flush out” works if you want to know why someone did something: you might try to “flush out” their reasoning, or bring it out into the open. It’s this metaphorical usage that lends itself to the confusion between “flesh out” and “flush out.”
I’m sure there is no shortage of phrases you thought were correct, only to learn that you were wrong. I’m thinking of you, Keith (my junior year of college roommate) whose catchphrase, “Far be it from me to cast dispersions [sic],” was upended when he first used it on me: “Dude, I think you mean ‘aspersions.'”
Is there a phrase you thought you were saying correctly only to discover you’ve been saying it wrong your whole life? No judgment, just fun. Email us or send us a message on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.