To Induce Terror

It's no secret that I love words. I love them so much, that the way a person uses words can be a major factor in not only what I think about them, but how I feel about them. Am I saying that I fall in love with the way people talk? A little bit, yeah.

It's the words they choose, how they string them together, how creative they can be creating new words, what type of slang they use; and of course, basic spelling and grammar.

The flip side is that I also judge people when their verbal communication is not up to my standards. I know that sucks, but I judge myself just as harshly (if not more so). I've found that this is the hidden reason behind why I'm attracted to articles that bring to light common mistakes in word usage, grammar, inappropriate use of phrases, etc. I want to know what I'm doing wrong! I want to be corrected! I want to never make that mistake again! And I don't just mean in terms of my more professional writing– every email, every text, Facebook status, online comment– it all gets the same amount of attention.

You know... I'm not really sure if there's any truth behind astrology, but I'll be damned if this entry doesn't just scream VIRGO. 

Anyway, I came across this great article on ten words we've all likely been misusing. I found myself guilty of at least a couple, and I'm happy to see another public damnation of the non-word "conversate." I enjoy new words and all, but that one just doesn't sound right to me. The very last one is "terrific," which should mean that something is causing terror, that it is terrifying. I think the horror genre needs to reclaim that word! Make terrific art, and scare the pants off the populace!

10 Words That You've Probably Been Misusing via Hello Giggles