EDITOR@WORK: flounder

I was looking up misused words, and I came across several web sites. One of the better sites I found was Infoplease.

I must admit that, years ago, I used alright. It's common, but a woman told me that it's not all right to use alright. I looked it up; she was right.

My wife and I often argued over farther/further, and now she gets it right more often than I do. Farther denotes distance. Further makes me think of the NFL term "after further review..." That's from instant replay, for you non sports junkies.

Writers often say flounder when founder would do. A sinking boat isn't floundering; it's foundering. If you're moving around clumsily, that's floundering.

I've seen people use past (time) when passed (motion) would be correct. In fact, I've looked at a sentence, wondering which is right (don't worry, it passes quickly).

And don't get me started on who vs. whom. I've already said a good bit on that.

What's your "favorite" misused word?

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Getting a head: The Miami Herald recently ran this headline -- Miami Dolphins flounder in red zone. Normally I don't like the use of flounder; founder is usually the correct choice. Still, the Dolphins have both foundered and flopped around inside opponents' 20-yard lines, so I think flounder works fine here.

Besides, flounder and dolphins seem to go together. So do carp and crappie.

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