Grammar Girl: BARELY vs BARLEY

You say barely, I say barley!

I say fairly, you say farley...?

Barely, barley, fairly, farley...

Let's call the whole thing off!

So, barely and barley get interchanged quite often in fan fiction. I know the switcheroo with the 'l' and the 'e' is a slippery, slippery, slop! Let's ease the issue:

BARELY means scarcely or hardly, as in Bella BARELY survived James' attack in the ballet studio.

BARLEY is a type of grain whose seed is used in malt beverages (like beer), breakfast foods, and it is often used to feed livestock.

Sharon Stone's vag is...BARELY visible here:



Here's a recipe for BARLEY Risotto! Buon appetito!



P.S. FARLY is NOT a word (per my opening 'number').