Spelling: Palate/palette

March 20, 2003: issue 53

SIM STYLE: When do I put a period at the end of a resources line?
It’s pretty simple: If a resources line is a complete sentence, it gets a
period; if not, it doesn’t get one.
correct: For resources, see page 112.
correct: Resources begin on page 112.
correct: Resources on page 112

Note: This is generally the rule for any text that appears in SIPs (liftouts, decks, captions, etc.).

GRAMMAR: Palate, palette, pallet, pallette: What’s the difference?
These words look similar, but their meanings couldn’t be more different, making choosing the right word especially important.
• Palate refers to taste.
• A palette is an artist’s board or a range of colors.
• A pallet is a portable storage platform. It can also refer to a temporary bed.
• A pallette is a plate in a suit of armor.

Sure, but can I use them all in a sentence, you ask? Ye of little faith …
correct: “A palette of buttery yellows and creamy whites this year,” the artist said as she stepped atop the wooden pallet to finish sculpting her bovine creation, only to be distracted a short while later by a medieval knight running by in full armor—breastplate, pallettes, and all—having assuaged his palate for too long at the corndog stand and now making haste to the governor’s celebrity joust.

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