coruscate

coruscate, excoriate

Confusion of these two somewhat literary words —caused by the coincidence of the syllable -cor- and the ending -ate —is a common malapropism. To coruscate (from Latin coruscare) is to glitter or give off flashes of light, and it can be used figuratively: a coruscating blend of the searingly honest…and the completely deluded. Whereas to excoriate someone is to criticize them harshly, literally ‘to remove their skin’, the physical meaning of the word, derived from Latin corium ‘skin’. A typical misuse follows:

• ☒ The government's response to the tax credits fiasco, which will cost taxpayers unforeseen amounts, is still inadequate, a coruscating report from MPs warns —Scotsman, 2007.

Here, the word intended is excoriating, but it might have been better to avoid the minefield altogether and use a more straightforward but equally satisfactory word such as withering or blistering. The same goes for coruscating in its correct sense: less troublesome alternatives include glittering, glowing, shimmering, dazzling, and gleaming, and people are more likely to know what these mean.