Being upset by words people use?

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Irregardless, the bastard child of irrespective and regardless. Oh how I loath it has become a word that does not get a red squiggly line.

I generally hate when people misuse words to a point where I'm sure I seem visibly angry. There is a person in management at my office who incorrectly uses "limelight" when he just means "light." "When people see you in that limelight." No. People see someone in THE limelight when that person has ascended a measurable level of fame. That was not the context of what he was discussing. The phrase "when people see you in that light" is perfectly fine. No limes needed.

Not upset, just annoyed by the misuse of there, they're and their.

"there" is place or position. Like "put it over there" "In there"

"they're" is short for they are. "They are waiting for the film to start"

"their" is talking about a person or belonging to someone. "It's their TV set." "In their room." The room belongs to them so it's their room.

Yes. And yes.

"Irregardless" is a double negative. The "ir" in front is negative. And the "less" at then end is also negative.

So "irregardless", if it were a real word, would mean "you ignore the act of ignoring" which would means that you DONT ignore it, and DO regard it.

So if someone says "irregardless of X" they are actually saying "pay close attention to X". The opposite of what they mean.

Before electricity they used lime lights in the theater to light the stage. Lights that used burning lime - and somehow the Victorians were able to project that light from buring lime onto the stage (like low tech spot lights).The expression survives into the age of electricity even after they stopped using actual lime lights more than a century ago. So if you are in "the lime light" you are famous, or get media attention. And you're right that "seen in that light" is not the same as "being in THE lime light". I would be annoyed by that manager person too.

Well... the "pant" in "panties" is derived from the word "pants" (the men's garment). They are tiny pants -or thats the idea. Though all three words "pants"(the garment), "panties", and "pant" (like a dog), are related. They all have to do with long flat things that hang down.

Maybe instead of calling them "knickers" we should call them "knickros"!

I cant abide folks who confuse "infer" and "imply".

Here a certain lawyer is masterfully cross examining another certain lawyer, and nailing him to the wall. But the moment was ruined (in my mind at least) because she meant "imply" but used the other word! Grrrrrr!



No less than our possible future Veep!

I am not a grammer nazi. I believe that language naturally changes over time, I like inventive neologisms, and I accept that correct "formal" English does not come easily to most people....

...and yet, when someone uses "Literally" to mean literally the opposite of literally, I am figuratively beside myself with exasperation. It makes my figurative boiler figuratively blow up like a figurative volcano.

Would that make people who fetishize them knickrophiles?

When I think of the previous post, I think of Joe and Phil Niekro, knuckleball pitcher in baseball who were brothers.