[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by OldDave

There is an interesting struggle between accepted rules of language, and the fact that every language, except maybe german, is ever changing. (Thanks Martin Luther.)

Whom essentially doesn't exist any longer. Even used correctly it sounds odd.

There are words people use "incorrectly" most of the time. Unique is frequently modified with very, totally, etc. By definition unique cannot be modified, it means one of a kind. However, nearly no one uses it that way, so unique is on the way to meaning different or unusual. I don't know if it's good or bad, but if nearly everyone uses it that way, it comes to mean that, regardless if Edwin Newman is turning over in his grave. (I started to say irregardless to get a rise out of people)

I agree with the idea that you probably shouldn't correct people, unless there is a true reason to do so. But it drives me crazy, too.

The worst consistent misusage these days is "literally" Nearly every time you hear someone use it they mean "figuratively". I actually heard a news anchor on TV say, "today the stock market literally went through the roof." That would have been something to see.

Even though it drives me crazy we're probably on the way to the meaning of that word changing. And that will literally drive me crazy.

I have been waiting, figuratively, for your post on this subject.

Now my gripe is when you hear people on the TV say " .... small little ..... What happened to just being able to say that something was small, who decided to add the little to the end?