I know. The words “boar,” “boor,” and “bore” aren’t confused for one another. You’ll have to forgive me. The Write Right alter ego decided to indulge in some word play.
A “boar” is a type of swine. Specifically, it’s an “Old World wild hog from which most domestic swine derive.” It’s also the animal my youngest brother and his friends sometimes hunt. They prefer deer, but when the boars get “wild,” well, the population needs some trimming before they ruin people’s crops. To put it in perspective: the domesticated swine can be a pet and paraded at fairs. The boar cannot and should not ever be brought home, but its tusks might be put on display.
A “boor” is a “rude and insensitive person.” I can call someone a “boor,” or I can refer to him as “boorish.” A substitute is “churlish.” The two adjectives refer to someone who exhibits ill-bred manners, but they have their distinctions. A “boor” is a “boor” because of insensitivity to other people’s feelings and an unwillingness to be agreeable. A “churl” simply is surly, unresponsive, and ungracious. Neither person should be invited to dinner.
A “bore,” when the words refers to a person, is someone who’s “tiresome” or entirely “devoid of interest.” While he may not exhibit boorish behavior, he still tends to be avoided. He tells the same stories at every party or somehow brings the conversation to bear upon what he’s doing and what he finds interesting. Like the boor and the boar, it’s best not to bring the “bore” home for an intimate dinner party.
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