Lend me your ear and loan me a buck

A reader asked about our policy on using “loan” as a verb, as in this sentence from a recent report:

So far the Democrats have not used their personal fortunes in the campaigns, although Perdue’s husband loaned $200,000 to her lieutenant governor campaign in 2000 that has not been repaid.

In general, we use “lend” as a verb and “loan” as a noun, but we sometimes use “loan” as a verb when we are referring to the lending of money.

But those who find fault with that have two great authorities on their side. Strunk and White in “The Elements of Style” and “The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage” both advise against using “loan” as a verb.

This article was originally posted by the Raleigh News & Observer, a subsidiary of The McClatchy Co.; is posted here to provide continuity; and is copyright © 2011 The News & Observer Publishing Company, which reserves the right to remove this post.