Nefarious


Adjective
Flagrantly wicked or impious, evil

Word of the Year, 2008

Okay, okay, I know all I do is link to shows/segments on NPR member station, WHYY, but they are just always talking about WORDS!

Check out this clip from Radio Times in anticipation of the American Dialect Society's vote next week on the Word of the Year for 2008. List of nominations. I personally like "meh" tied for number ten.

And because we like the Merriam-Webster website so much, here is their list from 2008, with "bailout" coming in at number one.

Eggcorn

noun.
an idiosyncratic substitution of a word or phrase for a word or words that sound similar or identical in the speaker's dialect (wikipedia)

I came across the term eggcorn from this story on All Things Considered and I think it is a great example of how interesting it is to watch the evolution of language!

Some eggcorns you are probably familiar with:

•for all intensive purposes instead of for all intents and purposes
•old timers' disease instead of Alzheimer's disease
•boggled instead of bogged
and so much more at The Eggcorn Database!

Regalia

noun.
special dress


nothing like a man from South Philly in full Mummers regalia!

happy new year!