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Let’s flesh it out
Sometimes, there are commonly confused phrases where one use is just incorrect, such as “deep-seeded” instead of deep-seated or “nerve-wracking” instead of nerve-racking.
Other times, there are two similar phrases that are both perfectly acceptable, if used in the right way. Such is the case with flesh out and flush out. They are similar phrases with different meanings.
“Flesh out” means to provide more detail, while “flush out” means to bring something to light.
So if you, say, knew these two phrases were both correct in different contexts but couldn’t remember which was which, and now that you know that “flesh” = “add detail” and “flush” = “bring out of hiding,” hopefully this newsletter has helped you ~flesh out~ your knowledge.
And if you learned about these phrases before but forgot the difference, you might be able to make an argument that we helped ~flush out~ that knowledge that was hiding somewhere in your brain 🤷♀️
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Hone your writing skills and never use "hone in" again. Get writing tips, have fun with words and learn something new in a one-minute read each week by signing up for Stylebot’s newsletter.
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