pay rise

Question

One of my colleagues wrote "pay raise" in an exercise. I think it's "pay rise". I looked it up and I could only find "raise" as a transitive verb, not as a noun. She says she's looked it up too, but I don't agree.Who is right?

The sentence was something like this:

The boss gave me a pay ...... so I can enjoy the sun .... on the beach.

You have to complete the sentence with two homophones. I think the only possibility is "rise", but that would be two homonyms.

Thanks in advance.

Danyoo · Accepted Answer

Maripinky,

The correct usage is:

A pay raise
The sunrise.

from Cambridge:
raise (INCREASE) http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?dict=CALD&key=98545&ph=on
verb
to cause something to increase or become bigger, better, higher, etc:
The government plan to raise taxes.
I had to raise my voice (= speak more loudly) to make myself heard over the noise.
The inspector said that standards at the school had to be raised.
Our little chat has raised my spirits (= made me feel happier).

Maripinky · Answer

I've been doing some research and this is what I've found. Apparently "raise" is American English, and "rise" is British, which I'm more used to ... so both are right. Thank you for your help, anyway, Danyoo.

From the Oxford Concise:

rise // v. & n.
v.intr. (past rose //; past part. risen //)
1 move from a lower position to a higher one; come or go up.
2 grow, project, expand, or incline upwards; become higher.
3 (of the sun, moon, or stars) appear above the horizon.
4 a get up from lying or sitting or kneeling (rose to their feet; rose from the table). b get out of bed, esp. in the morning (do you rise early?).
5 recover a standing or vertical position; become erect (rose to my full height).
6 esp. Brit. (of a meeting etc.) cease to sit for business; adjourn (Parliament rises next week; the court will rise).
7 reach a higher position or level or amount (the flood has risen; prices are rising).
8 develop greater intensity, strength, volume, or pitch (the colour rose in her cheeks; the wind is rising; their voices rose with excitement).
9 make progress; reach a higher social position (rose from the ranks).
10 a come to the surface of liquid (bubbles rose from the bottom; waited for the fish to rise). b (of a person) react to provocation (rise to the bait).
11 become or be visible above the surroundings etc., stand prominently (mountains rose to our right).
12 a (of buildings etc.) undergo construction from the foundations (office blocks were rising all around). b (of a tree etc.) grow to a (usu. specified) height.
13 come to life again (rise from the ashes; risen from the dead).
14 (of dough) swell by the action of yeast etc.
15 (often foll. by up) cease to be quiet or submissive; rebel (rose up against the despot).
16 originate; have as its source (the river rises in the mountains).
17 (of wind) start to blow.
18 (of a person's spirits) become cheerful.
19 (of a barometer) show a higher atmospheric pressure.
20 (of a horse) rear (rose on its hind legs).
21 (of a bump, blister, etc.) form.
22 (of the stomach) become nauseated (esp. in phr. one's gorge rises at).
n.
1 an act or manner or amount of rising.
2 an upward slope or hill or movement (a rise in the road; the house stood on a rise; the rise and fall of the waves).
3 an increase in sound or pitch.
4 a an increase in amount, extent, etc. (a rise in unemployment). b Brit. an increase in salary, wages, etc.
5 an increase in status or power.

raise // v. & n.
v.tr.
1 put or take into a higher position.
2 (often foll. by up) cause to rise or stand up or be vertical; set upright.
3 increase the amount or value or strength of (raised their prices).
4 (often foll. by up) construct or build up.
5 levy or collect or bring together (raise money; raise an army).
6 cause to be heard or considered (raise a shout; raise an objection).
7 set going or bring into being; arouse (raise a protest; raise hopes).
8 rouse from sleep or death, or from a lair.
9 bring up; educate.
10 breed or grow (raise one's own vegetables).
11 promote to a higher rank.
12 (foll. by to) Math. multiply a quantity to a specified power.
13 cause (bread) to rise, esp. with yeast.
14 Cards a bet more than (another player). b increase (a stake). c Bridge make a bid contracting for more tricks in the same suit as (one's partner); increase (a bid) in this way.
15 abandon or force an enemy to abandon (a siege or blockade).
16 remove (a barrier or embargo).
17 cause (a ghost etc.) to appear (opp. lay1 v. 6b).
18 colloq. find (a person etc. wanted).
19 establish contact with (a person etc.) by radio or telephone.
20 (usu. as raised adj.) cause (pastry etc.) to stand without support (a raised pie).
21 Naut. come in sight of (land, a ship, etc.).
22 make a nap on (cloth).
23 extract from the earth.
n.
1 Cards an increase in a stake or bid (cf. sense 14 of v.).
2 esp. N.Amer. an increase in salary.

Maripinky · Answer

The homophone of "raise" in the exercise would be "rays". If you use the British word it's "sun rise".

Davkett · Answer

The boss gave me a pay raise so I can enjoy the sun rays on the beach.

That is, enjoy the warm, bright rays of the sun.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

The homophone of "raise" in the exercise would be "rays".

I think that's a pretty ingenious suggestion.

Clive

Julielai · Answer

That reminds me of this old joke:

Once upon a time, somewhere in Europe, a family with three sons lived on a farm. As the farm was too small to support all of them, and the parents were not yet ready to retire, the sons decided to emigrate to South America, where they bought a ranch and raised beef cattle.

Question: So what did they call their ranch?
Answer: They called it "Focus", because that's where the sun's rays meet (sons raise meat).

Source: http://iteslj.org/c/jokes-puns.html

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