I'm a word maven. I've loved the English language all my life. And I really can be a pain the arse sometimes about it. I'm kind of a stickler. My kids and my wife have complained over the the years about my correcting their grammar, pronunciation, or use the language. I know it's an embarrassment for me when--on those admittedly rare occasions--I myself get corrected. My friend Cecil catches me every so often in pronunciation faux pas. But usage . . . well, I'm pretty good on that. (Would you believe I have no less than half a dozen books on usage right here next to me?) So I was arrested today when I came across this little article about what was billed as the "30 Incorrectly Used Words That Make You Look Bad." Okay, I agree that misuse can make you look bad, but only in some circles. The vast American public doesn't know and doesn't care.
So how many of these give you difficulties?
- adverse - averse
- affect - effect
- compliment - complement
- criteria - criterion
- discreet - discrete
- elicit - illicit
- farther - further
- imply - infer
- insure - ensure
- its - it's
- number - amount
- precede - proceed
- principle - principal
- they're - their
- whose - who's
- you're - your
Now I have to tell you: I agree with the list and am pretty much appalled by how often you see them misused both in print and speech. But that's just me. As I said, the vast majority could not care less.
Oh, the only pair on the list that gives me trouble is farther-further, and I just read in one of my usage books that this is largely a distinction without difference. Further down the road = Farther down the road. Wouldn't you agree?
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