Kibitzer
Sky Soldier
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2011
- Messages
- 5,676
- Reaction Score
- 24,714
Reign, rein, go away.
Rain, rein and reign are homophones. They sound alike when spoken, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings.
Rain is easy to use. It describes that wet stuff that falls from the sky. Or "Diana was raining shots from the perimeter." Seldom a problem for writers
Reign or rein? A perpetual conundrum for many writers. One online blogger's research identified usage error frequency at about 10-30%. It seems higher for sportswriters, almost all of whom describe a coaching change as a "turning over [of] the reigns."
Even here on the BY, one of our sharpest posters recently mentioned that one of a player's teammates was the "reining NPOY."
Let me try to cut the confusion.
Rein(s) represents control (in the manner a rider controls a horse) or lack thereof ("free rein").
Reign represents supreme ruling authority (king, queen or NFL commissioner) or total domination (heh heh UConn.wcbb).
Got it? OK, so when Geno retires, you can determine whether he turns over the reign or the reins to his successor.
Rain, rein and reign are homophones. They sound alike when spoken, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings.
Rain is easy to use. It describes that wet stuff that falls from the sky. Or "Diana was raining shots from the perimeter." Seldom a problem for writers
Reign or rein? A perpetual conundrum for many writers. One online blogger's research identified usage error frequency at about 10-30%. It seems higher for sportswriters, almost all of whom describe a coaching change as a "turning over [of] the reigns."
Even here on the BY, one of our sharpest posters recently mentioned that one of a player's teammates was the "reining NPOY."
Let me try to cut the confusion.
Rein(s) represents control (in the manner a rider controls a horse) or lack thereof ("free rein").
Reign represents supreme ruling authority (king, queen or NFL commissioner) or total domination (heh heh UConn.wcbb).
This to hide the tears of many. Reminds me of a song. 
