# 81 Inter Se vs Inter Alia: One Gets the Fame, One Does the Work

WORD OF THE DAY

Inter Se: The Twin Phrase Inter Alia Never Told You About

Everyone and their legal pad knows inter alia, the “among other things” that turns up in almost every agreement, pleading, and judgment. But its lesser-known twin, inter se, has been quietly doing excellent work in the background, and it’s time it got some credit.

Both are Latin. Both sound impressive. They do very different jobs.

YOUR CHEAT CODE
Alia → other things
Se → themselves

What does inter se mean?

Inter se means “among themselves” or “between themselves.” It describes something that exists between or among the persons concerned: their rights, obligations, disputes, claims, liabilities, or relationship.

The partners have certain rights inter se.

Translation: the partners have certain rights among themselves.

It is especially handy for separating how the parties deal with each other from how they deal with third parties:

The arrangement is binding on the parties inter se, but shall not affect the rights of third parties.

Inter se draws a neat little circle around the parties and says, “This stays in the family.”

What does inter alia mean?

Inter alia means “among other things.” It flags that one matter is being singled out of several. That matter might be a provision, ground, allegation, argument, finding, reason, or duty. It is not picky.

The agreement provides, inter alia, for termination of the contract.

Termination is one of many things the agreement covers. It just happens to be the one we are mentioning.

And no, inter alia is not limited to sections and clauses:

The petitioner contended, inter alia, that the order was arbitrary.

No section. No clause. Just one of several contentions, politely highlighted.

Both phrases, one partnership

Picture three partners: A, B and C.

The partnership agreement provides, inter alia, that A, B and C shall share the profits equally.

Inter alia = “among other things.” Profit-sharing is one of several matters the agreement deals with.

A, B and C shall resolve their disputes inter se.

Inter se = “among themselves.” These disputes are strictly a partners-only affair.

Side-by-side showdown

Phrase	Usually relates to	Think of it as	Example
Inter alia	Matters, provisions, grounds, allegations, arguments	Among other things	The agreement provides, inter alia, for termination of the contract.
Inter se	Persons and their dealings, rights, obligations, relationships	Among themselves	The partners shall settle their disputes inter se.

The shortcut (and its fine print)

A tempting memory trick is inter alia → things and inter se → parties. Not bad, but it needs a footnote:

• “Inter alia = sections or clauses”? Too narrow. Grounds, allegations, arguments, findings, reasons, and duties all qualify.
• “Inter se = parties”? A simplification. The phrase points not at the parties but at what exists between them: rights, obligations, claims, liabilities, disputes.

Two Latin phrases, two distinct jobs, and a lot less confusion the next time they show up in a judgment, contract, or pleading.

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Keep learning. Every word you understand strengthens your legal voice.

...Anpama Singh

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Anupama Singh | Legal Blogger | Lawyer Lingo

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#80 Pique vs. Intrigue

Both words relate to curiosity, but they are not identical. Pique is the initial spark of interest. Intrigue is a deeper fascination, usually with something unusual or mysterious.

At a glance

Pique (verb) = to spark interest or curiosity.
Pique (noun) = irritation or resentment, as in out of pique.
Intrigue (verb) = to fascinate or puzzle.
Intrigue (noun) = a secret scheme or plot.

Pique

Pique means to arouse interest or curiosity. It is most often used in the phrases pique my interest and pique my curiosity.

The unusual title of the book piqued my interest.

The lawyer’s argument piqued my curiosity.

Common Patterns with “Pique”

The verb pique does not always take a bare noun. These are its three most common patterns.

1. pique + noun

Very common. Here pique means to arouse or stir up, and the noun is usually curiosity or interest.

• pique curiosity
• pique interest in law

2. pique + possessive + noun

The most natural pattern: pique + someone’s + noun.

The story piqued my interest.

The advertisement piqued her curiosity.

3. be piqued (adjective or passive use)

Here piqued describes how a person feels, and it is usually followed by by.

She was piqued by the mystery.

I was piqued by his comment.

Note that the second sentence is ambiguous. Depending on context, it can mean the comment sparked your curiosity or that it irritated you.

Pique and piqued are not the same thing

The story piqued my curiosity. (verb)

I was piqued by the story. (adjective or passive use)

A separate meaning: “pique” as irritation

As a noun, pique also means a feeling of irritation or resentment, usually after hurt pride. It appears in the phrases out of pique and in a fit of pique.

He resigned out of pique when his idea was rejected.

So pique does not always relate to curiosity. Context tells you whether it means sparking interest or irritation.

Intrigue

As a verb, intrigue means to fascinate or puzzle, because something is unusual, mysterious, or hard to understand. It often keeps holding your attention.

The mystery surrounding the case intrigued me.

I was intrigued by the evidence.

As a noun, intrigue means a secret scheme or plot, especially in politics.

The novel is full of political intrigue.

The Key Difference

A strange title piques your interest. Once you learn the book is about an unexplained disappearance, the mystery intrigues you. In many contexts the two words are interchangeable, but intrigue carries more fascination.

Common Mistakes

• Spelling: the verb is pique → piqued, pronounced “peekt”. It is not “pick” or “piquid”.

Incorrect: The story picked my interest.

The story piqued my interest.

• “I am piqued” is correct but uncommon. Most speakers say “I was intrigued.”

हिंदी में समझें

Piqued: किसी चीज़ ने आपकी curiosity अचानक जगा दी। (जिज्ञासा जगाना, उत्सुकता पैदा करना)

The title piqued my curiosity.

उस title ने मेरी जिज्ञासा जगा दी।

Intrigued: कोई चीज़ रहस्यमय या दिलचस्प लगी और आप उसकी ओर आकर्षित हुए। (कौतूहल पैदा करना)

The mysterious character intrigued me.

उस रहस्यमय character ने मुझे कौतूहल में डाल दिया।

आसान तरीके से याद रखें

Piqued = “अरे, यह क्या है? मुझे जानना है।”
Intrigued = “यह बहुत interesting/mysterious है, मैं और जानना चाहता हूँ।”

Quick Comparison

Word	Meaning	Example
Pique (verb)	To spark interest or curiosity	The headline piqued my interest.
Pique (noun)	Irritation or resentment	He left out of pique.
Intrigue (verb)	To fascinate or puzzle	The mystery intrigued me.
Intrigue (noun)	A secret scheme or plot	The court was full of political intrigue.

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# 79 Inquisitive to Intrigue

Have you ever seen the words inquisitive and intrigue and thought, “These two look related—but are they secretly the same person wearing different clothes?”

They are connected, but they are not the same.

The easiest way to remember them is:

Something intrigues you, and then your inquisitive mind starts asking questions.

For example, you see a locked box under your neighbour’s bed—don’t ask how you got there. The box intrigues you. Soon, your inquisitive mind starts asking:

• Who owns the box?
• Why is it locked?
• What is inside?
• Why am I standing in my neighbour’s bedroom?

That’s the difference in action: the two words do different jobs.

1. Inquisitive

Inquisitive is an adjective. It describes a person, mind, or nature that is curious and eager to learn, investigate, and understand.

Hindi: जिज्ञासु (jigyasu)

“The inquisitive child kept asking how airplanes fly.”
“She has an inquisitive mind and loves learning new subjects.”
“A good journalist must be inquisitive to uncover the truth.”

2. Intrigue

Intrigue is a verb or a noun. As a verb, it means to make someone curious or fascinated, usually because something is unusual or mysterious. As a noun, it means mystery, fascination, or secret plotting.

Hindi: उत्सुकता जगाना / कौतूहल पैदा करना (verb), कौतूहल (fascination), साज़िश (secret plotting)

“The old locked room intrigued me.”
“The detective was intrigued by the missing evidence.”
“The novel is full of mystery and intrigue.”

3. How They Work Together

Imagine you find an old diary in a locked cupboard, with torn pages and a note reading, “You should not be reading this.”

1. The diary intrigues you.
2. You become intrigued.
3. Your inquisitive mind starts asking: Who wrote it? Why was it hidden? What happened on that date?

“The mysterious diary intrigued me, and my inquisitive mind made me investigate it.”

4. Common Mistake

❌ “I am intrigue by this story.”
✅ “I am intrigued by this story.”

Use intrigued, because it describes how you feel.

5. Grammar Reference

Inquisitive, Intriguing, and Intrigued

Word	Part of Speech	Meaning and Examples
Inquisitive	Adjective	Naturally curious. She is an inquisitive student.
Intriguing	Adjective	Interesting or mysterious. That is an intriguing theory.
Intrigued	Adjective (past participle)	Feeling curious or fascinated. I am intrigued by the theory. Hindi: उत्सुक (utsuk)
Intrigue	Verb, noun	To fascinate; mystery or secret plotting. The letter intrigued me. Hindi: कौतूहल

Key Differences

Feature	Inquisitive	Intrigue
Describes	A person, mind, or nature	Something that creates curiosity
Focus	The curious person	The mysterious thing
Core idea	Wanting to know more	Making someone want to know more

6. Memory Trick

Think of curiosity as a small detective in your head:

• Intrigue rings the doorbell.
• Intrigued is the detective saying, “Interesting… tell me more.”
• Inquisitive is the detective opening the door with a notebook.

7. In a Nutshell

Inquisitive (जिज्ञासु) is the person who wants to know.
Intrigue (कौतूहल जगाना) is the thing that makes them want to know.

“The mysterious case intrigued the inquisitive detective.”

Keep learning. Every word you understand strengthens your legal voice.

Adv. Anpama Singh

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Sources: Cambridge Dictionary · The Free Dictionary · The Content Authority

# 78 Long vs Prolong

Legal English  |  Writing Skills

By Adv. Anpama Singh

Long vs Prolonged: The Tiny Word Choice That Makes Your English Sound Way Smarter

Ever written “long” when you actually meant “prolonged”?

Yeah, me too. And then I wondered why my sentences felt… slightly off.

Here’s the plot twist: these two words are not twins. They’re more like cousins who look similar but have very different personalities.

Once you see the difference, your English (and your legal drafts) instantly get sharper.

In Brief

Long — lasting for a considerable time.

Prolonged — lasting longer than expected, usual, or intended.