In this series on think-twice words, we’ve covered gourmet scotch, glamorous destruction, and noisy gospel truth. Here are a few more of those tricky words that make even editors think twice.

Hearty or Hardy?

To describe their robustness, plants are called hardy or half-hardy. Some plants lack hardiness. Some farm animals are hardier than others and less troubled by harsh weather.

Laurel and Hardy are a classic American comedy duo. We can imagine that Oliver Hardy was a hearty eater.

The Hardy Boys books are about two brave, intrepid brothers. Frank and Joe Hardy have hardy spirits and greet mysteries with great heartiness.

A bold, brave man, especially a sailor, may be called a hearty. At the end of the day, a sailor and his hearties probably all have hearty appetites. They may long for a hearty meal full of hearty flavors when they come ashore. After some hearty wine, a few may be less hearty about returning to sea.

Grisly or Grizzly?

Grizzly bears are large, powerful North American bears. They are larger than European brown bears and, one imagines, smugly proud of the name Ursus horribilis. Generally brown, they often sport grizzled fur with gray or silver highlights.

Hikers and campers have experienced intensely fearful, grisly encounters with grizzly bears. Occasionally, these meetings end in a gruesome, grisly scene, but experts say this is almost never the fault of the grizzly. If they could, grizzlies would probably heartily advise humans to wear bells when walking in bear habitats. Bears could then avoid situations that may lead to a grisly conclusion.

What are your favorite tricky words?

Image courtesy of chascar.