Grammar Moses: Here's a little verbiage for you

It's been a while since I wrote a quick hits column on words I've heard or seen misused lately, so you're welcome in advance for the lack of bloviation.

Let's get to it!

Reticent or reluctant

"Reticent" means reserved, unwilling to speak freely. "Reluctant" means unwilling or hesitant. They are not synonyms but often are used interchangeably.

If you find yourself saying "I'm reticent to XYZ," just stop talking. You're not reticent TO anything. If you're reticent, you're quiet.

You're not even reticent to talk, because that would be redundant. You're just reticent.

You could be reluctant to talk, but again wouldn't it be shorter to say you're "reticent"?

You can be reluctant TO do a great many things, so unless you're shy about public speaking, the word you're probably looking for is "reluctant."

Sachet or sashay

Clearly, I didn't hear the problem with sachet and sashay, because they are homophones.

I wish I'd written down where I read it, but the sentence was something along the lines of "Sally sacheted over to the bar and ordered herself a gin rickey."

The verb "sashay" means to strut.

A "sachet" is a small scented bag.

I suppose Sally could have sashayed over to the bar with her sachet slapping against her hip.

Boy, you must think I read Louis L'Amour westerns in my down time.

Marinate or ruminate

I was at a meeting a while ago, and someone was asked a question. He said he would need to "marinate" on it a while.

I don't think it was a particularly vexing problem he was asked to solve, so it wasn't like he wasn't stewing in his own juices. That, essentially, is what it means to marinate.

The word he probably was searching for is "ruminating."

Cows and deer ruminate, or "rechew," their food to digest it. When people think deeply about something, chewing it again and again in a figurative sense with their minds, they are ruminating.

Proud or prideful

The distinction here is pretty subtle, but one is a compliment and one a criticism.

I think we all know what it is to be proud. But to call someone "prideful" is to suggest excessive, nose-in-the-air pride, even disdain.

Verbiage or words

If someone asks you for some verbiage to be added to a report, ask that person why.

I regularly encounter people who use "verbiage" simply to mean words, but its origin from the French "to chatter" carries with it a negative connotation - an abundance of unnecessary words.

Bloviators deal in verbiage, and, like I said at the start of this column, you'll get none of that from me today.

Well, I tried.

Write carefully!

• Jim Baumann is vice president/managing editor of the Daily Herald. Write him at jbau-mann@dailyherald.com. Put Grammar Moses in the subject line. You also can friend or follow Jim at facebook.com/baumannjim.