"Thanks to watching those cinematics over and over, and a bit of insight
from Wikipedia, I think I came up with a pretty darn good Characters
chapter. Now maybe we’ll get some artwork to flesh it out. Literally."
The second I hit the send button and mailed off another chapter to my editor, I started wondering about that whole "flesh it out" phrase. I've always been sure of the usage of it, but lately it sounds like more and more people say "flush it out". It was really bugging me, as the last person I want to look like an illiterate dufus to is my editor.
So I Googled "flesh it out" and instantly saw that I wasn't the only one who wondered about this dillema. This article at StartUpNation.com provided plenty of insight. Well, actually the comments left by other readers did.
One was to a site that I had bookmarked last year but couldn't find in my ever-growing list of "Favorites". It's an invaluable tool for anyone who uses the english language.
Here's the link to a complete list of "Common Errors in English".
And if you're wondering, the correct usage is "flesh it out" as in adding meat to the bones of something. Flush it out is what hunting dogs do, not people looking to expand on an idea.
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