Aaarrrrggghhhh!

I pride myself on my better-than-average command of the English language. I am quite a good speller, I only use words when I am sure of their correct punctuation and context, and I try not to leave any participles dangling. However, I find myself with the sometimes misfortune to find myself paired with a partner who butchers this language on an almost daily basis.

Quick Example: This summer, I was explaining something to our kids and I used the phrase "as the crow flies" when I was talking about distance. Well, my dear husband picked it up and filed it away for later use. For the next two weeks or so, he used "as the crow flies" as often as possible without once getting it right. Say he was trying to tell me what happened in a movie or TV show that I missed. Instead of giving me all the tedious details ("and then House sneezed") he would say, "well then, as the crow flies he just decided to...." Let's not get into his use of the words "florensics" (yes, he puts an 'L' in there) or "coupe."

Tonight's example: All three kids are asleep and he and I are enjoying a rare treat: actually watching a show together without constant noise and/or interruptions. A man used a word completely inappropriately and I groaned and expressed my displeasure to Dear Husband. Dear Husband agreed. "Yeah," he says, "he's just trying to sound smart. He used that word totally out of contest."

I repeat: aaarrrrggghhhh!!!