Why Spelling Is Important – Put the Pedal to the Metal

I’m an English teacher.

And an editor.

I should know better.

But I’m only human.

To this day, I can’t figure out the difference between affect and effect.

I know, I could use the RAVEN trick.

Remember that Affect is a Verb and Effect is a Noun.

Except, of course, that sometimes affect is a noun and sometimes effect is a verb.

Ugh.

I just can’t.

My workaround is to simply find another way to say it.

I’ll go to huge lengths to avoid using these words.

There’s always another word.

And so it is with the idiom “put the pedal to the metal.”

Is it pedal or petal or peddle?

Is it medal or metal or meddle?

The correct idiom – put the pedal to the metal – is a car reference, indicating that you should push the gas pedal all the way down to the floorboard in order to go as fast as you can.

If you can’t figure out how to write it correctly, find another idiom.

There’s always another idiom.

Try using “B*lls to the wall.”

It’s an aviation reference, and it means the same thing.

Go as fast as you can.