Basically, there's an awesome online dictionary that's interesting and supposably whimsical—and if those italicized words are driving you crazy, you'll like the Atlantic's dictionary of "despicable words." The magazine bases it on emails from readers who are simply seething over our use of English. A few examples:
- Arguably: Does it mean indisputable? A valid subject for argument? "It is a non-word," fumes one reader.
- Honestly: So when you don't use it, you're being dishonest? Still, it can't compare to what a reader calls "the ultimate space-wasting, no-crap expressions": "it is what it is" and "at the end of the day."
- Irregardless: With any luck, you know why readers hate this one.
- Moist: More emails trashed this word than any other, as "we might have predicted," says the Atlantic.
- Supposably: It's not a real word.
- Webinar: One of the "new media" words that people can't stand, like bloggerati and weblog.
Click for the
full list, including
firstly,
panties, and a word that "serves absolutely no purpose other than to fill dead air space," gripes one reader. (More
dictionary stories.)