Gel or jell

I have never used the word "jell" (or gel) in anything I've written for publication. Not saying anyone else should feel the same way; just personal preference.

 

Hair gel ...

 

Though according to AP, the online dictionary isn't the final word. It's Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition, and there are differences between that one and m-w.com.

 

I haven't either, I guess because I didn't know whether to use gel or jell and because both looked weird to me.

 

"You gellin?"
"Gellin' like a felon!"
"What about you, playa?"
"I'm gellin like Magellan, I'm so gellin"
"Anybody for some melon?"

 

I pick none of the above. It's a stupid dumb athlete/coach phrase that I refuse to use. It's right up there with "step up" and "I let the game come to me."

 

Not really. Jell is an actual word with an actual meaning. You can use it. Like any word in the English language, I would avoid overusing it, but it isn't just a coach cliche. If a basketball team has, say, three new starters in starting lineup, writing that they need time to jell is perfectly fine.

 

Without looking it up, I picked gel.

My reasoning was that gel was short for gelatin, which does relate to something getting firm. Jell seems short for Jello. A lot of times the dictionary is based on a survey of what educated people use. There are differences, like employe or employee.

 

i just split the difference and go with jel

 

Jizz