Certain sets of words in the English language tend to confuse people. I have found the following to be among them:
PARALLEL / TANDEM
These two words have somewhat opposite meanings in that parallel refers to things that are side-by-side whereas tandem refers to those that are one behind the other. The adjective parallel means extending in the same direction, always the same distance apart and never meeting. The adjective tandem describes something with parts that are positioned one behind the other.
People sometimes say certain things are “in tandem” when what they really mean is that they are parallel. A tandem bicycle has two seats, one behind the other (they could hardly be side-by-side on a bicycle, now could they?). Train tracks, on the other hand, are parallel, or at least we hope so. I can’t even imagine what would happen if the two tracks were to meet!
INCORRECT: The rails on that train track are in tandem.
CORRECT: The rails on that train track are parallel.
ALSO CORRECT: Those train cars are in tandem.
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