Grammar Girl here.

Today's topic is although versus while.

I often have to tell people that their pet peeves aren't actually hard-and-fast grammar rules. I have to tell people that it's OK to split infinitives, and that in some cases it's fine to end sentences with a preposition or use the word between when they are choosing among more than two items.

I know it's upsetting to find out that your nearest and dearest beliefs are wrong, so this week, I'm going to talk about my own mistaken pet peeve: it bugs me to no end when people use while to mean although, but no matter how hard I looked I couldn't convince myself that I was right. The horror!

You see, I think although means “in spite of the fact that,” as in “Although Sir Fragalot was tall, Squiggly and the aardvark considered him an equal.” Although is what's called a concessive conjunction, meaning that it is used to express a concession. On the other hand, I think that while should be reserved to mean “at the same time,” as in “While Squiggly gathered wood, aardvark hid the marimbas.”

At first I was sure I was right because in his book Usage and Abusage Eric Partridge said that “'while' for ‘although’ is a perverted use of the correct sense of ‘while,’ which properly means 'at the same time.'”

Ha!

But, then I discovered that Fowler's Modern English Usage (which I frequently rely on and almost always agree with) said it is normal and acceptable to use “while” to mean "although." Fowler even called Partidge's comment “indefensible.” It's a grammar rumble, people.

I decided to go over their heads and see what the Oxford English Dictionary has to say, and they back up Fowler with an entry saying while can mean “although.” Two additional dictionaries concurred. I was thwarted, but I'd given it a good shot.

One reason I'm telling you this story is that I want you to know that I go to this much trouble to validate all of your pet peeves too, but sometimes it isn't possible.

My only small vindication is that there are sentences where it is confusing to use while to mean “although,” and then it isn't allowed. For example, if you said, “While Squiggly is yellow, aarvdark is blue,” people wouldn't know whether you were contrasting their colors or saying that aardvark is only blue when Squiggly is yellow. In cases like that, you have to use although.

So, moving forward, I know that I will continue to reserve while for times when I mean “at the same time”--old habits are hard to break—but I will now refrain from striking out while every time I come across it in a document. I wonder if Mr. Manners will want me to send apology cards to all the writers I terrorized about this over the years. I hope not!

Next, I have two related bonus facts for you!

First, there isn't any difference between although and though when they are being used as we discussed. Though is a less formal version of although, but it's in such common use that it's OK to use it in formal writing too.

Second, while and whilst both mean the same thing. Although whilst is still used in British English, it is considered archaic in American English.* It's just one of those quirks of language that whilst survived in Britain but perished in America.

That's all.

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For the next few weeks I'm giving away books from Scott Sigler in anticipation of the April 1st release of his new science fiction novel called Ancestor. I'll be giving away his older novel until March 15th, when I will give away three copies of Ancestor. The winners of Earthcore this week are Bob in Elmhurst, Illinois; Tabitha in Davis, California; and Rollie in Arizona. Enter this special book giveaway by sending an e-mail to sigler@quickanddirtytips.com before March 15th.

Questions and comments for me, Grammar Girl, go to feedback@quickanddirtytips.com or the voicemail line at 206-338-GIRL (4475). You can find a full transcript of this podcast at QuickAndDirtyTips.com, where you can also find other great QDnow podcasts such as Modern Manners, Money Girl, and The Traveling Avatar's Quick and Dirty Tips for a Better Second Life. This week, Mr. Manners talks about elevator etiquette.


* The situation is similar for among versus amongst. Amongst is more common in British English and is considered old-fashioned or archaic in American English.