“Bear” Vs. “Bare”

Even English teachers need grammar help every now and then.

This morning, while working on a client’s website, I typed, “Our site is brand new, so please bear with us.” This was followed by a moment of grammatical panic. Had I just inadvertently written, “Please large-furry-land-animal with us”?  In this case, was bare the correct choice?

A little bit of web research quickly solved the controversy. Apparently, “Bare with me,” means, specifically, “Please get naked with me.” Bear, on the other hand–when not referring to the creature that inspired Winnie the Pooh and Paddington–comes from forbearance, which means postponement or patience.

So yes,”Please bear with us,” is grammatically correct. Another grammar crisis averted, thanks to the internet.

Now, please excuse me while I look up the spelling of “averted.”