Pedaling vs. Peddling

Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling Pedaling vs. Peddling By Maeve Maddox A reader has asked for a post about the confusion between pedaling and peddling. The only errors I found related to the use of two idioms: â€Å"influence peddling† and â€Å"go pedal your papers†: Incorrect: All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence pedalling  without compromising my clients confidentiality. Correct : All I had to do was get close to the power brokers in these foreign countries and report on any  influence peddling without compromising my clients confidentiality. Incorrect: She should be in jail for corruption and  influence pedalling.   Correct : She should be in jail for corruption and  influence peddling.   Incorrect: After we  told him  to go  pedal his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone.   Correct : After we  told him  to go  peddle his papers  elsewhere,  he  got on  his  cell phone. â€Å"To peddle† is â€Å"to sell.† â€Å"To pedal† is â€Å"to push with the foot against a pedal.† influence peddling: the practice of using the influence of wealth or authority to bestow favors or obtain preferential treatment. go peddle your papers: go somewhere else with whatever you are trying to sell. The verb peddle is a backformation from pedlar: â€Å"An itinerant trader or dealer in small goods.† Because a pedlar sells items of insignificant value, the verb peddle connotes disparagement and contempt. Note: The US spelling of pedlar is peddler. The noun pedal, referring to a foot-operated lever on an organ, entered English in the 17th century. The verb pedal, with the meaning â€Å"to push a pedal,† came into use in the late 19th century. When bicycles were invented, the foot levers were named pedals. Two figurative expressions based on the word pedal- soft-pedal and backpedal- derive from two different activities. â€Å"To soft-pedal† comes from music. A piano’s pedals enable the player to soften or muffle the sound produced by the keys. Figuratively, â€Å"to soft-pedal† means â€Å"to reduce in force or effect; to tone down, play down, go easy on.† Here are some examples from the Web: After getting retailers and consumers excited by its commitment to closing the online GST loophole, the Government is again soft pedalling on the issue.   A 1960s movie starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty will resurrect the groundless legend of Bonnie Clyde, part Romeo Juliet and part Robin Hood, soft-pedalling the fact that they killed at least 13 police officers and citizens.   The mob-fueled extremism of the Cultural Revolution has been thoroughly rejected by peasant and plutocrat, alike despite propagandistic soft-pedaling in official media. â€Å"To backpedal† comes from cycling. Back-pedaling is the action of pressing down and back on the pedal as it rises, in order to check the movement of the wheel. Figuratively, â€Å"to back-pedal† is to back down from a previous position. Here are some examples: After likening welfare recipients to stray animals, Andre Bauer, the embattled lieutenant governor, is hastily back-pedalling from remarks his rivals have called immoral. In a Rolling Stone interview, Sienna Miller made disparaging remarks about Pittsburg. She has been back-pedalling ever since. Spelling notes: 1. Although pedaling is US spelling and pedalling is British spelling, I noticed the double-l spelling frequently in US publications. 2. The OED shows the verbs as soft-pedal and back-pedal. M-W shows backpedal and soft-pedal. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:12 Signs and Symbols You Should KnowHow to Punctuate Descriptions of Colors35 Synonyms for Rain and Snow