Every once in a while we post something for those of us who are teaching (and learning) how to write. This is one of those times.
Get it! Because you use “i.e.” to mean “what I mean to say is” and you use “e.g.” to mean “for example.” Cute.
From Learn Something New Every Day.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 26
Meghan O'Connor — May 19, 2012
I always remembered it as i.e. has an I, just like "in other words."
Legolewdite — May 19, 2012
What an appropriate place for this discussion given how utterly cultural language is. To point out common "misuse" is really to reinforce a particular meaning, one which is more custom than fact. Indeed, as Derrida points out, the very arbitrariness and disagreement over a word's spelling, meaning, and use are what allow culture (/language) to exist in the first place.
Basically, in my view, precision is the death of language, like hanging art as meanings and contexts change over time. This rate has observably slowed since the relatively recent advent of dictionaries, databases, and other codifications. Before Noah Webster (e.g.!) one saw spellings shift within a generation, whereas now it usually takes several.
Basically, grammar is elitist, make no mistake about it. But that's not to say that it's irrelevant. Many ELL students, very intelligent people who are unfortunately used to the way language allows them into certain groups and excludes them from other, have found it more comprehensible if I relate it to fashion. The way we use words, or dress our thoughts, is analogous to the way we put on clothes. It is both a kindness we show others as well as an indication of who we are. Two equally qualified job applicants may show up to the interview, but if one is decked out to the nines while the other shows up in ripped jeans and a t-shirt, the outcome is fairly predictable. Grammar is merely the clothing of our ideas...
Amanda — May 19, 2012
I remember e.g. by pretending it stands for "example given".
Elena — May 19, 2012
"i.e." = "tl;dr" and "e.g." = "frex." So simple.
Letta Page, TSP Assoc. Editor — May 19, 2012
aw, this is way better than explaining the latin meanings of each! thanks for sharing it, lisa!
Gilbert Jimenez — May 19, 2012
i.e can be remembered as "in explanation."
Gilbert Pinfold — May 21, 2012
I've looked the cartoon twice (hours apart); I've read the supporting post (including the bit starting 'get it!', which surely should be 'get it?'); and I've read all the comments; and I still must admit, I don't: Get it, I mean.
Samuel Maltby — January 24, 2023
Using "i.e." and "e.g." correctly in writing can greatly improve the clarity and precision of your sentences. "i.e." is used to introduce a clarification or to restate something in a more clear or specific way, while "e.g." is used to introduce an example or a list of examples. It is important to get more tips here and note that "i.e." is used to clarify or specify something that has already been mentioned, whereas "e.g." is used to provide examples of something that has not yet been mentioned. Misusing these abbreviations can lead to confusion and misinterpretation of your message. It's a good practice to use these terms sparingly and only when they are needed to make your message more clear.