Pique, peak, peek

Posted by mde [ Fri, 05 Jan 2007 06:14:00 GMT ]

I just saw this in a blog post yet again -- and from someone who is otherwise quite a good writer. I guess now is as good a time as any to bring back the English Fascist.

It's not "peak [someone's] interest." The correct word is 'pique.'

'Peak' is an intransitive (can't take an object) verb that means "reach the highest possible level," e.g., "The shrillness of Geddy Lee's shrieking peaks in the 'Temples of Syrinx' section of 2112. "

I guess the connection there is that a 'peak' is high, so you use that word to indicate that someone's interest (or whatever) has been 'heightened.' It's completely wrong, but I guess I can see how someone would wind up there.

Sadly though, I've also seen the same misuse with 'peek,' another intransitive verb which of course means "to take a little look." That one is not just wrong, it's bizarre. ("it peeked my interest"?).

The word you want here is 'pique' -- a transitive verb that means "to excite, arouse, provoke [something]." Hence, "pique my curiosity" means "arouse my curiosity." (As a noun it means "resentment or irritation" -- a separate definition.)