Grammar Moses: Yule make Santa happy if you don't spell his name 'Clause'

It's Christmas Eve, and you might be sweating over how to get on Santa's good side in one short day.

In my house, Santa's naughty and nice lists have a firm line of demarcation: those who can spell and those who can't.

If a lump of coal isn't on your list, help is on the way.

Here is a look at oft ... er, occasionally ... misspelled terms you'll encounter this time of year.

• Reindeer: As in deer guided by reins. Not deer in a deluge.

• Chimney: Not chimbley. I hear this occasionally.

• Santa Claus: Despite what that stupid Tim Allen movie might have taught you, the name is not spelled "Clause."

• Eggnog: You might be inclined to add a fourth "g" on the end of the word. Do not. In fact, you'll stay away from eggnog entirely if you have any sense.

• Caroling: Not carroling or carolling. I've seen it both ways. If you were rounding up your reindeer, however, you'd be corralling

• Tinsel: Not tinsle.

• Christmassy: Yes, Christmas has one "s," but you add an "s" when you make it an adjective.

• Christmastime: One word.

• Angel: Not angle. Don't be obtuse.

• Crèche: Not cresh.

• Fir: Your tree is not a fur, unless your cat likes to hide in it, as mine does.

• Myrrh: I don't know how anyone is supposed to remember how to spell this, so you might get a pass on it. It's also the sound my cat makes when hiding in the fir.

• Frankincense: Not frankencense. And not "Franken sense." Al clearly has none.

• Kriss Kringle: As opposed to Chris Cringle.

• Manger: Not manager.

• Poinsettia: Not pointsettia. Named after amateur botanist John Poinsett.

• Sugarplum: Has anyone ever seen one of these in captivity? It's one word, not two.

• Wassail: From the old Norse ves heill, meaning "be in good health." Some people drop the "i" by mistake.

• Yule: Not a contraction for "you will."

• Hanukkah: I saved the best for last. The AP Stylebook uses that spelling, but because Hebrew is difficult to transliterate to English, a number of spellings have taken hold. According to the OxfordWords blog, 49 percent of the time it's spelled "Hanukkah." In second place is "Chanukah" at 33 percent. "Hannukah" comes in at 7 percent, "Hanukah" at 5 percent and a few goofier variations at less than 1 percent each. But what does Santa care about Hanukkah anyway?

If Hanukkah is your thing, then I hope you had a joyous one. If you're a Christmas person, then allow me to wish you a merry one in all the ways I know how: Buon Natale, Frohliche Weihnacthen, Joyeux Noel and Feliz Navidad.

Write carefully!

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