What's the difference between pitfall and pratfall?

Pitfall


Definition:

  • (n.) A pit deceitfully covered to entrap wild beasts or men; a trap of any kind.

Example Sentences:

  • (1) Respiratory alteration in the intensity of heart sounds is one of the commonest auscultatory pitfalls.
  • (2) Pitfalls which may lead to overinterpretation are discussed.
  • (3) This article examines AIDS- and HIV-related concerns in women with a focus on the personal dilemmas for the practicing psychologist, problems in health behavior advocacy, and methods and pitfalls in modifying sexual behaviors.
  • (4) We describe an instrument designed specifically to avoid the pitfalls of intraoperative chest tube placement.
  • (5) Diagnostic pitfalls can generally be avoided by insisting on the opportunity for clinical-radiologic-pathologic correlation ("triangulation") before a final diagnosis is made.
  • (6) If the scientific community does not take steps to avoid such pitfalls in developmental screening, it invites those who make health care decisions to eliminate such screening or to mandate procedures which may not be scientifically sound.
  • (7) Diagnostic information derived from PA catheters should be related to the clinical condition and shortcomings and pitfalls of data clearly understood.
  • (8) A discussion is given of the advantages, disadvantages, and pitfalls of computerized tomography of the masticator space.
  • (9) Subsequent culture is desirable but not always possible.A simple scheme for identifying fungi and fungus-like organisms is presented based on general morphology, staining, and other special characteristics with notes on types of tissue reactions and common pitfalls.
  • (10) Similarly, many pitfalls may be circumvented by the simple expedient of close collaboration between urologist and radiologist, and by the reluctance of either to accept urography that is suboptimal by current standards.
  • (11) In addition, we illustrate several pitfalls encountered in membrane studies which exploit lipid-requiring organisms.
  • (12) Based on the pitfalls of the past the development of pancreatic resection therapy is outlined, starting with the first distal pancreatic resection in 1882 performed by Trendelenburg.
  • (13) To avoid the pitfalls of misdiagnosis and mismanagement, the nature of Crohn's disease should be understood and the gynecologic aspects of the disease recognized.
  • (14) Rational use of rigid fixation in hand surgery requires awareness of the advantages as well as the potential pitfalls of this relatively complex method of fracture management.
  • (15) This case illustrates the pitfalls in diagnosis of a chronic polyarthritis that has, as a typical feature, a long latency before manifesting its more specific signs and symptoms (ie, diarrhea, malabsorption, and hyperpigmentation).
  • (16) Experience with 150 cases of fresh femoral fractures and more than 80 cases of non-union of the femur, the tibia, the humerus and the forearm, demonstrates that thorough familiarity with the instrumentation and the pitfalls of the technique, as well as the correct clinical indications of the method are critical to the achievement of good results.
  • (17) Pitfalls in diagnosis led to late recognition and therapy in three patients, with subsequent serious complications; namely, arteriovenous fistula, false aneurysm, and amputation.
  • (18) Requirements, possibilities, and pitfalls of electrolyte (sodium, potassium, and chloride) analysis are reviewed within the light of the experiences in the Academic Hospital St. Radboud, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
  • (19) Discussion of the pitfalls in multiple regression analysis, and possible alternative approaches is largely based on two recent reviews and includes references to recent developments of robust techniques.
  • (20) It is simple to study mutation to resistance to a drug, for example, ouabain or azaguanine, but, as we discussed, there are technical and conceptual pitfalls.

Pratfall


Definition:

Example Sentences:

  • (1) As Consultation-Liaison Services continue to develop and expand in general hospitals, psychiatrists must be aware of pitfalls and pratfalls inherent in dealing with medical colleagues and other allied health professionals, as well as with the patients.
  • (2) Facebook put together a steely management team that has stood it in good stead as it fought back from its IPO pratfall.
  • (3) Revolutions, upheavals, corruption, schoolboy economic pratfalls, the Italian prime minister using his own personal Caesar in distinctly un-prime-ministerial ways: some scientists have even claimed there has been more news in 2011 alone than there was in the entire first millennium AD.
  • (4) This is especially the case for Don who has already turned Pete Campbell into a ball of pratfalling fury and insulted his ally Joan.
  • (5) Gerwig may baulk at the comparison, but Baumbach tells me that the character of Frances Ha – footloose free spirit; pratfalling dancer – was directly informed by her.
  • (6) The 50 Shades adaptation seems to be conscious of this trait with its casting of Jamie Dornan, whose quiet portrayal of a bloodthirsty therapist in The Fall means there's hope for the story yet – provided he's allowed to bring notes, and avoid the genre's other pratfall, namely rigidity, as so ably demonstrated in Mark Wahlberg's 1993 school slasher The Substitute.
  • (7) Adam and Paul was a grungy comic odyssey about 24 hours in the lives of two homeless Dublin smackheads: it was Ulysses meets Waiting for Godot with Laurel and Hardy pratfalls.
  • (8) But he brushed aside all criticism with the rejoinder that the British press was the last institution that could criticise television - even for screening staged pratfalls and other disasters for his You've Been Framed (1990-97) programmes.
  • (9) Markets are always great (which is why one of their fundamental operating principle is “the greater fool theory”) but they make up for any minor negativity with light material, like systemic pratfalls.
  • (10) SH The Golden Banana Skin award for best pratfall Winner: Alejandro Sabella’s touchline tumble Facebook Twitter Pinterest This would have gone to England physio Gary Lewin, for tripping up on a water bottle during a goal celebration, except his fall looked excruciatingly painful.
  • (11) Despite the eventual pratfalls, there were long spells here when they were a far more substantial side than Monaco.