Master confusing words with ease
Palm off vs. Pawn off
Palm off
/pɑːm ɒf/Examples:
He tried to palm off the fake tickets as real ones.Don't let them palm off those outdated products on you.She managed to palm off the old phone at a high price.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Pawn off
/pɔːn ɔf/Examples:
He tried to pawn off last year's model as brand new.She managed to pawn off her old bike to her neighbor.Don't let him pawn off that broken gadget as working.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Palm off usually involves deceit; you deceive someone into accepting something less valuable or not what it seems.
- Pawn off involves more of relinquishing possession, like a transaction, often related to pawn shops where items are exchanged for money.
- Remember palm like a sleight of hand trick, deceiving someone into accepting a counterfeit item.
- Pawn suggests giving something away for temporary cash, much like pawn shops where items are temporarily exchanged for money but there is no deceit involved.
- Both phrases involve transferring goods, but palm off carries a connotation of trickery, while pawn off suggests a more straightforward trade.
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