A monthly column in which we attempt, however futilely, to defend the English language against misuse and abuse
Media Watch
The first three below are from the good ol’ Wilmington News Journal:
• “However, 10 council staff members are currently at the top of that pay scale, including some whose wages have been stagnate for several years.” Stagnant, the adjective, was needed here. Stagnate is the verb.
• Subhead from the sports page: “Lydia Olivere makes seemless move to varsity competition.” Seamless is the proper word. Seemless? Not a word.
• “The $2.7 million will be split between four different organizations.” Use among when referring to more than two items or people. Oh, and why is “different” needed?
• From the usually literate Jim Miklaszewski, on NBC: “They apparently stoled the van.” Really, Jim? Haven’t heard that one since grade school.
• And a reporter on the CBS show Sunday Morning committed the dreaded “whole nother subject” gaffe. As we’ve pointed out before, nother is not a word.
More Media
Word Warrior gleanings from a single weekend of electronic sports media monitoring:
• “Wisconsin commits the least fouls per game in the Big 10.” That’s fewest. Remember: amount or singular = least; number or plural = fewest.
• “He should return it back” – (ESPN anchor commenting on Phil Mikelson’s broken golf club).
• “There’s a lot of Kool-Aid being drank down there” (WIP sports talk radio host commenting on the Eagles). It’s drunk, pal.
• And during the NCAA tournament, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski referred to “the powers to be.” That’s powers that be. A moment’s thought by someone as intelligent as Coach K should make him realize his mistake.
More Clarifications
Krzyzewski’s gaffe brings to mind other words and phrases that people misuse constantly. Among the most obvious is “tongue in cheek,” which is often inexplicably conflated into tongue and cheek.
A reader pinpoints another common near-miss, noting that she often sees “renown” used in the following way: “world-renown designer” or “world-renown chef.” The correct adjective is renowned. Renown, meaning fame, celebrity, is a noun.
Another incredible mistake is the mangling of “all intents and purposes” into “all intensive purposes.” Some people are convinced the latter is correct. Note to them: It’s not.
And a reader says she recently saw an article about health insurance that contained this:
“The U.S. Supreme Court is about to take on a challenging case that could change a major tenant of Obamacare.” That’s tenet, which means principle or theory. A tenant, or course, is an occupant or renter.
Gamut and gambit are also frequently confused. An amateurish reviewer, for instance, may laud an actor for “running the emotional gambit from sorrow to joy.” The correct word is gamut, which is a range, or scale. A gambit is a ploy or strategy.
And finally, a letter to the editor of the News Journal spotlights another mix-up: Referring to the Delaware Congressional delegation, the writer asks, “Are they adverse to such meetings?” He meant averse—unwilling or disinclined. Adverse means unfavorable, contrary or hostile, as in “adverse weather conditions.”
A and An
It’s truly appalling how many people rarely use an. “I am a Eagles fan” is a common refrain in sports talk radio. Using these indefinite articles depends on the sound that begins the next word. If the word begins with a vowel sound (elephant, egg, apple, Eagles), use an. If it begins with a consonant sound (boy, car, bike, zoo), use a. For a silent h (hour), use an. If the h is pronounced (horse), go with a.
Department of Redundancies Dept.
In the popular Netflix series House of Cards, President Underwood’s press secretary reprimands a reporter thusly: “You disrespected your fellow colleagues.”
In the “not necessarily redundant, but superfluous” department, we note that many folks employ the phrase “kind of a” in such sentences as “what kind of a car do you want?” The “a” is not only superfluous, but unsophisticated.
Word of the Month:
Saturnine: Pronounced SAT-uhr-nyn, it’s an adjective meaning sluggish, gloomy, cold.
Follow me on Twitter: @thewaronwords
Seen a good (bad) one lately?
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