“Hone in on” has been popping up in conversations lately. We’ve dealt with this issue here before, so I won’t belabor the point. Just please take a moment to refresh your memory.
Done? Good. Let’s move on to the difference between compliment and complement.
When you confess admiration for my Adonis-like physique, you’re paying me a compliment. When the idea you’re trying to convey is completing or matching, however, the appropriate word is complement. In other words, a cask-strength single malt and a Partagas no. 10 aren’t complimentary (unless they’re being nice to each other); they’re complementary.
