When the best of intentions go wrong, very, very wrong

If there is anything that drives Cookie nuts is how we seem to be losing our command of English, or at least our understanding that words and phrases have meanings when you put them together.   When you write something, and you use a word, you better understand what those words mean and what they mean when you assemble them into a sentence that makes sense.

Full disclosure - I make mistakes.  I fix them.

And we all make honest mistakes.  

Remember, to err is human, to forgive divine.  

Be divine, I always say.

What I don't understand is this idea that people can use the wrong word, even the right word the incorrect way - and then rationalize it by saying "Language evolves," or even lazier "People don't use that old word, it's more modern to say it this way." 

Bullshit. 

Yes, language is a living thing, and it does evolve.  However, one's laziness and limited vocabulary aren't evolving language, it's excusing your ignorance.

I blame texting and social media, and the generation that got awards for simply showing up.  But trust me, my parents blamed hippies, yippies, and yuppies for fadish things like "luv", "burn down the establishment", and "greed is good".  Every generation blames the previous generation, it is part of humanity.

The one that makes me crazy is how people confuse "hanged" and "hung" when applied to people.  The rule, according to the great William T. Smith - retired teacher extraordinaire who came into my life in high school is simple:  "If a man is hung by his neck until dead, there are going to be many ladies who are disappointed."  Our English class was silent.  Then one girl giggled, and another and a third and then the guys and the rest of the girls caught on.  "The man was hung," applies to a select few.  And the lesson that people are "hanged" and pictures are "hung" has stuck with every student that ever had William T. Smith for a teacher. 

But now and again, actually, more often than naught an increasing number of writers and commentators (usually the people who shouldn't be commenting) will say "He was hung."  Unless you are talking about Johnny "The Wad" Holmes, the man who was died was HANGED by the neck until dead.  

Blowing off the correct word by saying "It's the new way of saying it," just tells me that you are defending your ignorance.

I have a friend in Shaker who goes nuts when someone misuses "Who" and "Whom".  Woe to him, or her, who crosses that Rubicon in front of Wendy Rosenbaumblattthalheimer.  

"What kind of cretin makes a sign for the office fridge that starts out "To who this may concern..."?  It's "whom, Whom, WHOM!" God Damnit!" 

Wendy is usually blissed out on TM, but she will "cut a bitch" over this who/whom thing. 

So today, at the market, while we are waiting to be checked out, the Husband looks over on the check out racks and there is Rachael Ray's newest attempt to remain relevant: another magazine with her name on it.  

Seriously.  Who thought this was a good idea?

And the Husband looks at it and he gets a look on his face.  "If you were Rachael Ray, wouldn't you have someone who would have caught this name for a magazine?"

Is Rachael Ray in season, as in "duck-season-rabbit season"?

Is Rachael Ray in season, like Royal Riviera (c) Pears from Harry and David?

Is Rachael Ray "in season" like when you have to cover the furniture a couple times a year for a female dog or a cat that hasn't been spayed? 

That, along with the headline "2020 FEEL THE LOVE" seems to be an odd choice.  

No, make that a very poor choice. 

I mean someone who is making an amount equal to a sixth-grade teacher should have caught this, and think everyone involved in this decision makes considerably more, and they didn't?  Something tells me that "Hive Mind" or "Group Think" or worse still, the "Team" all thought it a great idea? 

Or still, one person said "You know, it could be construed as meaning..." which then resulted in a pile-on of "No, stop saying that," and for good measure, an eye-roll because "Stephen/Stephanie is always finding a reason why our super idea is bad."

Jeez, Stephen.  Jeez, Stephanie.  We're going to beat you up for doing your job.  Right?

In any event, the Husband and I find it sad.  

Poor Rachael Ray.  

You have gone from being a "hot" media star to being "in heat" like Mitzi, the neighbor's cockapoo.