The other day, Videographer Dick and I were watching a speech by President Bush in which he said the word "nukular." We both groaned loudly and simultaneously. That's not how you say the word, Mr. Most-Conspicuous-Man-in-the-World! It's Nuclear. I bring this up because I was just visiting Kem's site a moment ago and saw his rant about the non-word "irregardless." This triggered my anti-English-abuse response and now I want to post a few more irritants. (I must say, however, that this kind of post is always a little dangerous. It means I must be extra diligent about my own grammar, spelling and usage. Thank Heaven for dictionary.com)
Nauseous
This one always gets me. And I'm hearing it and seeing it more and more in professional situations like commercials and news articles. Don't they know that when they say they are nauseous, they are telling us that they make us sick? The word they want is "nauseated."
Could Care Less
There must be a better way to say that you care about something because that's what you're saying when you use this phrase. Try, "I couldn't care less."
Your vs. You're
When the people you're talking to are doing something, you say "you're." When you're referring to something that belongs to them, you say "your."
Apostrophe S
We were shopping for Christmas trees a couple of years ago when I saw a sign that said, "Douglas Fir's." I probably shouldn't have done it, but, with my permanent Sharpie, I wrote, "Unless this sign belongs to a man named Douglas Fir, you don't need an apostrophe here." I know: I'm a snob and a vandal.
About "irregardless:" I heard a great definition of it a while ago. It means without lack of regard.
By the way, thanks for all the great ideas, everybody.
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