Hi Friday Follyites! The Grammar Cop is pleased to share some Wrong-word-itis examples with you. They were among the numerous silly slips she uncovered during her overloaded work week.

1. “Unless one is adept in the study of chemistry, how can one purpose to swim successfully through all the mumbo jumbo presented in labels?”
2. “Interesting new hotels and restaurants recently opened such as the very cool and hype Indigo Hotel Lower East Side…”
3. “You wouldn’t believe how the ice flows look coming down the river on moonlit nights!”

The corrections:

1. Of course this sentence makes no sense as it is now. Try as we might, we can’t get past the word “purpose”! What on earth does it mean here? The answer is: nothing! It’s the wrong word. It should instead be the verb, propose: how can one propose to swim successfully through…  And by the way, mumbo-jumbo must have a hyphen! Also, we (Yes, this is the “royal we.” 😁) would normally say on labels, not “in.”
2. Would you stay at the “very cool and hype Indigo Hotel Lower East Side”? I don’t think so. But I definitely would, if it was very cool and hip.
3. You may have had to read this sentence several times. I know I did! That’s because the word “flows” is usually a verb, and here it’s very confusing, situated right before two other verbs: “flows look coming.” What??? It turns out that “flows” isn’t the right word. It should be the noun, floes. Now the sentence is clear: You wouldn’t believe how the ice floes look coming down the river on moonlit nights!

How the Grammar Cop manages to wade through all this mumbo-jumbo as it constantly flows before her eyes in all the local weekly rags newspapers, is a mystery. But wait! There’s more next week! 😁 See you then!