A Word, Please: Some definitions provide options

Sometimes it seems like grammar is all darned-if-you-do, darned-if-you-don’t propositions. If you say “Who are you visiting tomorrow?” some people will look down on you for not using “whom.” But if you use “whom,” others will think you’re out of touch (at best).

Seemingly countless terms work this way. There’s a form favored by sticklers and a form that sounds natural — and you’re stuck having to choose.

But there’s another way to look at it. Many words give you more than one option. Sometimes there’s a strictly proper form and an “also officially acceptable” form.

If you consider the metaphorical cup to be half full, these are all “not-darned-if-you-do, even-less-darned-if-you-don’t” propositions. Choose the formal term and you come off as a master. Choose the looser form and you’re still right, and should a stickler say you’re not, you can just open a dictionary to prove him wrong.

Here are some classic examples.

Decimate. Once upon a time, the Romans would punish mutinous army units by killing one out of every 10 men in the unit. “Decimate,” rooted in the Latin word for 10, evolved from this practice, originally meaning to destroy one in 10.

It’s more common today to use it to mean to inflict serious harm on or to nearly destroy something. Sticklers think this is wrong, but it’s not. The word can mean either.

Enormity. Contrary to its connotation, the primary meaning of this word isn’t about size. Instead, it’s about great evil. So some people think that if you talk about “the enormity of the crowd” or “the enormity of the storm,” you’re using the word wrong.

In fact, any dictionary will tell you that it can be used either way. But the primary and more proper definition continues to be “great evil” and not “great size.”

Nauseous. According to the widely misunderstood “Elements of Style,” the word “nauseous” doesn’t mean sick feeling. It means making someone else feel sick. That is, a nauseous thing induces nausea. If you want to say that you feel sick, this guide says, “nauseated” is the word you want.

That wasn’t exactly true when William Strunk told his students so 100 years ago and it’s far from true today. But you can still score stickler points by observing this distinction.

Peruse. Almost everyone uses this word to describe a casual skimming or browsing. They say they perused a book or casually perused a sale rack at a store. That’s actually the opposite of the word’s original definition: to read or examine carefully. Today, you can use it either way, depending on who’s listening.

Irregardless. I want to be clear: I’m not advocating this one. Regardless of the fact that “irregardless” is a proper and correct synonym for “regardless,” it’s still very ill-advised. Sort of a red flag among the word-savvy that you’re not word-savvy. Some think it’s wrong to ever use “irregardless.” It’s not. You can use it if you want to, and the dictionary will back you up.

Acronym. In strict usage, FBI isn’t an acronym. PDQ, LOL, GDP and HIV are not acronyms. But HUD, SWAT, radar, NAFTA and AIDS are. The difference is that the former are spoken as individual letters. The latter are spoken as words. The two most influential dictionaries in use today don’t allow “acronym” to refer to individually pronounced initials. But American Heritage does. So there’s your backup, if you need it.

Good. You know the folks who say you should answer “How are you?” with “I am well” and never “I am good”? Well, those folks haven’t checked a dictionary. “Good” can mean “in good health,” according to dictionaries. So the choice is up to you.

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of “The Best Punctuation Book, Period.” She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.