There are some phrases we’ve likely said a million times without thinking about how they’re written. Is it “bear with me” or “bare with me”? “Bows of holly” or “boughs of holly”? “Hear, hear!” or “here, here!”? (The answers, in order, are “bear,” “boughs,” and “here,” but we’ll review these and more in another edition.) Today, let’s talk about one confusing phrase in particular: Is it “that doesn’t phase me” or “that doesn’t faze me”?
“Phase” and “faze” sound identical, but, like all homophones, they have distinct meanings and uses. “Phase” is a noun that means “a distinct period or stage in a series of events or a process of change or development” — think of the phases of the moon. It can also be used as a verb, as in “phase out,” but that’s a newer 20th-century term, related to eliminating something in phases. “Faze” is a verb that means “to disturb or disconcert (someone).” The early 19th-century word is a variant of the Old English feeze, which meant “to frighten” or “to alarm.”
When determining which homophone to use, it’s important to look at the intent of the overall phrase and the part of speech needed. If you say that something “doesn’t phase/faze you,” you’re looking for a verb that implies it has no effect on your actions or emotions. Given that intended meaning, it’s as clear as a full moon that “faze” is the proper word to use in this context.
