Writing Wrongs: The Classic Bait And Bate Switch

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Writer Who Doesn’t Take The Bait…

It’s a common mistake: writing “baited breath” instead of “bated breath.”

I just didn’t expect it in the official publication of the American Marketing Association. But there it glared at me from an article about Apple’s born-to-be-lost AirPods.

Of course, we all know that “bated” means anxious or excited, while “baited” refers to a loaded trap. Whenever I see “baited breath,” I visualize someone with a worm on a hook dangling in their mouth — or a predatory male who thinks sucking on Tic Tacs will seduce his prey.

Now with that gruesome visual in mind (and I’m not talking about the worm), I’ll be sure to never make that mistake.