Some of them I agree with. However, not all. For example, it is too late, I think, to consider dilemma to be a difficult choice between two options. That is picky and prescriptivist, in my mind.

I think you may have mistaken my point again. I'm not talking about the words in the link and neither is stroppy editor. We're talkin about the words

Misusing
Correct
Grammar
Mistake
Wrong

which the people who made that list are misusing.

quote:

I think you may have mistaken my point again. I'm not talking about the words in the link and neither is stroppy editor. We're talkin about the words

Well, I did enjoy the stroppy editor site and some of those nuances. However, as for those 5 words, I didn't see a discussion of them. Were you just wanting us to discuss the differences? I see wrong and correct as black and white opposites. In other words, no one would disagree that this is not correct and is wrong: "Those men is going to the ballgame." I know that Goofy would say it's understandable, but still it's wrong, right?

Mistake is a little more gray to me. In our organization, this is considered a mistake: "healthcare" We have to write "health care." Or, we have to write US, and not U.S. We must use fewer and less as the prescriptivists say we must. We have 22 pages of what we must and must not do.

Misusing, to me, is when you use the word in the wrong way, such as comprised of, rather than comprises or composed of. (I got that from our 22-page style guide)

Grammar is syntax, rather than punctuation or spelling or misuse of a word.

Wow. You really do take things literally don't you?

Stroppy editor is saying that applying the sentences

"Common words you’re probably misusing. The English language is marvellous, and it’s evolving all the time. But amid the change, you should still stick to correct grammar. To help you avoid mistakes, I’ve put together a list of common words that people often get wrong:"

to the linked site is to misuse "misusing" as the examples on the site aren't misuses but normal grammatical uses, to misuse "correct" because the site is telling you what the author peeves about rather than correct usage, to misuse "grammar" because a lot of the examples are unrelated to actual grammar, to misuse "mistake" as the things it talks about aren't mistakes and to misuse "wrong" because they aren't wrong.

It's a short, sarcastic and rather pointed put down of the site it links to.

I'm astonished that you didn't pick that up. It seemed blatantly obvious to me. Maybe it's true that Americans don't understand irony or sarcasm. I always thought that was just a myth.

Well, it may also be context. I don't know the site, and I just quickly clicked onto the story, which I thought was your point.

Therefore, you really shouldn't be "astonished" (that's a strong word) that I didn't pick up the "blatantly" obvious (really?) irony. I looked and clicked. Period.

No offence intended. (Hence the smiley.) I really did think the point was obvious though.

I understood it, although, being British, I usually 'get' sarcasm/irony.