Amazingly Consistent Language Misuse

When I see embarrassing misuse of language I'm incredulous, mostly because there is absolutely no excuse for it. The Internet provides immediate access to and clarity on virtually every single word that anyone could conceivably use. And idioms. And colloquialisms. And every figure of speech ever recorded.

In the last week I seen these examples of frighteningly careless usage :

1. ". . . he's known to cut off his nose despite his face."
2. ". . . one of those tenants of the past."
3. "English is a Rubick's cube of confusing possibilities."

The first two are from a blog and an e-mail; the third is from an article on Huffington Post about words that people misuse. Amazing: In a piece about mistaken use of language, an absurd spelling error.

I'm coming to the conclusion that language, spelling, grammar, et al, are simply becoming unimportant. Accuracy, correctness, effectiveness? They don't seem to matter to many people. I would love—I mean, L-O-V-E—if someone actually noticed the way I use words. (Actually one person has; thanks AB.) I'll never be the World's Greatest Writer, but I want to write well.

Instantaneous, universal access to  . . . everything . . . seems to have enabled poor communication to become the norm. One can only hope that the next generation will have an appreciation of the value of well-crafted communication.

The current generations? Shame on you.