Today's English lesson

From Common Errors in English:

Set Phasers To Stun!

Faze means to embarrass or disturb, but is almost always used in the negative sense, as in:

"The fact that the overhead projector bulb was burned out didn't faze her."

Phase is a noun or verb having to do with an aspect of something:

"He's just going through a temperamental phase."

"They're going to phase in the new accounting procedures gradually."

Unfortunately, Star Trek has confused matters by calling its ray pistols phasers. Too bad they aren't fazers instead.