Comments on: Stupid Question #1: Is it BARE in mind, or BEAR in mind?

By: JamesZilla

JamesZilla — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:21:49 +0000

Clearly you’ve been thinking about Bears. So it’s definately Bear in mind, yuk yuk.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:44:21 +0000

Unless you are nudists, you were likely to be asking them to *bear* with you. One of the many meanings of the verb “to bear” is to “To press, force one’s way against resistance; to move with effort, with persistence, or with a distinct bias in some direction”. So “bear with me” means persist in me in something, a line of reasoning, perhaps. It’s also to “bear in mind” as in to bear or carry some though in mind.

By: caroline

caroline — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:34:10 +0000

I almost submitted a paper to my boss with the incorrect ‘bare’/….thanks!!

By: Tammy

Tammy — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:29:59 +0000

Thanks alot Lawrence, I just had the need for the clarification and you blog helped a whole lot. All the best

By: rrpostal

rrpostal — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 02:14:51 +0000

Another English BS here who always has trouble with that one! Usually I can reason these things out, but this one has stuck in my craw (now I’m doubting myself on that one too).

Thanks for the help.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:16:20 +0000

Haha! No, not a joke… I always used to have trouble with that one, so I figured I’d share it when I found out.

By: allover

allover — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:04:37 +0000

Cheers, yes google good, unless this is all a big joke and everyone is going to laugh at me when i write bear now!
Don’t drink the kool aid!

By: Doug Selby

Doug Selby — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:15:12 +0000

Cheers Lawrence! I googled this in a moment of doubt, and am reassured by your authoritative tone. Also, I googled loadbearing, just to check. :~)

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:18:13 +0000

I have been using bare for years… Ops.

By: Alon

Alon — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:14:12 +0000

Thanks! I just had the same dilemma. thank god for google..