- This distinction is quickly getting relegated to the “losing battle” department, but for many people, it’s offensive to use the word “enormity” when “enormousness” is meant. For the purists, “enormity” is properly used to mean “extreme wickedness” or “a monstrous offense or evil.” “Enormousness” means “the quality of being great in number, size or degree.” If “enormousness” seems too clunky a word for you, “magnitude” will often serve the same purpose.
- I continue to see this mistake on a regular basis, so I’ll call attention to it again. The word “its” is possessive, and like “yours” and “ours,” it takes no apostrophe. The word “it’s” is a contraction for “it is.” So, the robot looked at its watch and said, “It’s 2:30 p.m.”
Thanks for visiting. While you’re here, please look around the site. You can subscribe via e-mail or RSS feed. The tools to do so are at the top of the right-hand column. To share or retweet the entry, use the buttons below. You can follow me on Twitter: @peterfaur