It's the principle...

and the principal

Have you ever noticed that when someone says, “It’s not the money that’s important to me, it’s the principle,” the truth is that it’s usually the money they’re really thinking about? And have you also noticed that when we’re talking about money, it’s actually not the principle, it’s the principal?

(It’s possible The Snarky Editor hasn’t had enough coffee yet this morning. Let’s try that again.)

Principle: A rule or code of conduct; the laws or facts of nature; a characteristic quality. When we talk about a fundamental law or a basic assumption about whether something is right or moral, we’re talking about a principle. Apples fall from trees because of gravity. Stealing is wrong. Those are principles.

Principal: A person who holds controlling authority, the chief executive of a school, a leading performer, or a sum of money. The balance in your savings account is the principal, but so is the star of the Broadway show and the head of the local high school.

The principal of a relationship should be pretty cut-and-dried.

Since we’re talking about a general rule, it’s the principle of a relationship….

Don’t compromise your principals.

Context is everything, here. If you’re trying to get the goods on the head of the high school, to reveal his affair or his thefts from the athletic fund, then you’re trying to compromise your principal. If you’re talking about violating your moral code, it’s Don’t compromise your principles.

…access to the interest of the estate but could not touch the principle.

Since we’re talking about a sum of money, it should be could not touch the principal.

…he hated me on principal.

Disliking someone because of their age, gender, race, hair color, or other general factor, rather than because of their skills? It’s not a very pleasant rule to live by, but it still qualifies under the definition. He hated me on principle.

Same principal applies to any type of situation…

Nope. Same principle applies.

I am violating that principal today.

And ditto, since we’re talking about a general rule on how to live (even if we’re breaking it): I am violating that principle today.

The Snarky Editor comes out of hiding occasionally to comment on the awkward, silly, and sometimes hilarious editing errors found in published books.

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Leigh Michaels is the award-winning author of more than 100 books, including historical and contemporary romance, non-fiction books about writing, and local history. More than 35 million copies of her books are in print in 27 languages and more than 120 countries. She is also a writing coach and book editor, though she promises to be snarky only in regard to published books.

To find out more, check out https://leighmichaels.com