My previous column prompted a cascade of nuggets on misuses of language — adding to the original list of 10 that earlier readers suggested.
The new list, in a moment. First, headlines that befuddle us:
“China sentences star Uyghur scholar who vanished to life.” (Are you sure it wasn’t to the afterlife?)
“Pedestrian killed after being struck by vehicle in Orangeburg.” (What? Did the driver back up?)
For your consideration:
1. “Whether report”: If you write, “I am deciding whether to go to the concert,” don’t write “whether or not.” The word “whether” embodies “or not.”
2. Who/whom: It’s correct to say, “Whom are you going to lunch with?” But that “whom” grates on the modern ear. I’d vote for “Who are you going to lunch with?” But I’d stick with “whom” in a sentence like this: “California Governor Gavin Newsom is considering whom to appoint to replace Senator Feinstein.”
3. Less/fewer: Fewer people are dining out these days. Those who do are consuming less alcohol.
4. Myself: Many readers shudder at “They invited my husband and myself to dinner.” If you were the only one invited, you’d say, “They invited me.” So, make it “my husband and me.”
5. Who/that: Too many writers and speakers say, “People that,” when it should be “people who.” Human beings take “who;” things take “that.”
6. Caught off base: We constantly hear people say, “Based off your comment, I vote for acquittal.” No: Make it “based on.”
7. What time is it? If you say it’s 6 a.m., don’t add “in the morning.” The “a.m.” says it all.
8. Lie, lay, laid: “Lie down, Rover.” “After I finished lunch I lay down for a nap.” “He laid the book on the nightstand.”
9. The gift that keeps on gifting: A particularly annoying gaffe to most readers. You give someone a gift — a noun; don’t make gift into a verb.
My own Peeve of the Week: A New York Times columnist described Kamala Harris’s 2020 presidential campaign as “shambolic.” Why use such an obscure word when its synonym is chaotic, or disorganized?
Gary Gilson can be reached through www.writebetterwithgary.com.