Despite all my best intentions, sometimes I get snagged by linguistic pet peeves. It makes me backslide into Stereotypical English Teacher™ mode, which is not a place I like to go. Nonetheless, I am forced to confront this demon and force it out through the power of instruction. Today's lesson: correctly choosing between the words silicon and silicone.  Here is a picture of a pair of dueling oven mitts made of that highly heat-resistant form of rubber known as SILICONE.It should be obvious from the picture that the dispute between these mitts results from the frog's incorrect attribution of the material of their manufacture. No wonder the dog snapped. Don't let this happen to you! Take this lesson to heart! Now this, to the left, is a computer chip made out of SILICON.You wouldn't want to take your green bean casserole out of the oven with this--silicon is a conductive material, unlike silicone. And if the chips in my laptop were made of silicone, I would be completely unable to offer this highly informative and relevant-to-the-21st-century guide to the correct choice between two confusing words. [There, I feel much better. I hope you do too.] |
