When the devil wants to enrage old English teachers — an irascible lot, to be sure — he has people abuse and overuse certain words, among them the following examples. To begin with simple words. Most people don’t seem to appreciate the difference between “may” and “might,” a distinction that used to be taught in the seventh grade, along with that between “lay” and “lie.” If you don’t see the differences among these words, observe how Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson use them. How many times have you heard someone say “prior to” instead of “before”? “Prior to” has its proper … Continue reading Annoying Words