Where did last month go? I don’t know. Frankly, I don’t want to know. I think it’s fine where it is.

It is time for June! In my mind, that means it is time for July-preparation and the next Campnanowrimo. My life revolves around Writing. Now, if only I could complete something and finish up the polishing process, I’d be golden. Working on that too.

I’ve started practicing dictation. I don’t think it will be that hard. My problem now is finding software that actually works. Unfortunately the free ones are worth their price and no more. The one for GoogleDocs always starts so strong, but then it stops recognizing anything until I turn it off and on again. The search continues to make myself more productive!

The topic this month: phrases.

I read something I had never seen before. The phrase “deep-seeded”.

I have used deep-seated before. Suddenly I realized I had never seen this Written. Horror descended upon me, as I came to the conclusion that I had been wrong the entire time. Deep-seeded! It makes a lot of sense. Deep-seeded issues. Where an issue is sown within your soul. I always took “seated” as a no-brainer, but if I was wrong, well! I could see why.

Turning to my search engine, I quickly got a response. Nope, I wasn’t wrong at all. Deep-seeded is incorrect.

What a relief! Crisis averted, I was correct the entire time. It makes me wonder what else I might be misusing though. What other words or phrases are wrong. What words that are so close together that people confuse all the time.

I’m not talking about their, there and they’re. Sure, they are pronounced the same. Sure people can Write down the wrong one. But I would like to think any basic editing skill can cover that one. I’m curious about the words that one looks at, registers completely, and still might think it is a different word.

Ingenious and ingenuous is one, not helped by the fact I and U are right next to each other on the average keyboard. Totally different things. Like reign and rein. That one I have seen printed in the newspaper. I have laughed about that one. Homophones, homonym and homographs are fantastic, in a way. So many letters and sounds we are capable of and we still manage to make language the most confusing thing ever.

Then there is “I could care less” vs “I couldn’t care less”. I see the first one when the second is meant. If you can actually care less, I’ll need to see that in the context of what else you have Written. Or else I will probably assume you meant the second one.

Continuing on… I found the one I do. All the time. ANYWAYS. S. THE STUPID S. Anyway. Toward. I’m always putting that “s” in where it don’t belong. Why? I have no idea. This is something I suffer from more vocally, I think, but I’m under no false impression I have avoided it completely in my Writing. (I will use the excuse that if it is in dialogue, that is just what the person said, even if it is technically incorrect.)

And on that note, passersby. As the plural of passerby. For the longest time I have tried to Write passerbys or passerbyers. Because that is what I say. I know it’s wrong. I’ve known this one for a while.

Language. It is a funny thing. No wonder people say “don’t think about it”. You think about it too hard and you might realize this is impossible for the average person to grasp because we’re supposed to be making minimum wage. No time to unlearn all the bad habits unless you make a determined effort.

For people interested, here is an article I found with some of what I’ve talked about today and more: Everyday Phrases You Might Not Know You’ve Been Saying Incorrectly.