Grammar Cop:

Updated:Patrick pointed out the website of Mr. Brians (see, another whole phrase allomorph). Bookmark it! Thank you, Patrick.

I make many grammatical errors. Most occur as a lack of editing, but some are a result of bad habit. I have gotten better and am actually quite confident when I must label parts of speech or if I am asked to spot errors. Is it just hard to check your own work?

Thank goodness for the work of Paul Brians ("of Paul Brians" is called a "whole phrase allomorph" because it feels odd to make some words that end in "s" possessive. Now that's useful for life, huh?) in Common Errors in English Usage. I have been telling people for years (props to R) that when they say "I am nauseous" that they are saying they make people want to vomit. According to the author, the correct way of announcing an upset stomach is to say "I am nauseated." When I read this to A, she correctly used it in a sentence: "Public nose picking is nauseous." That's my girl!

Interesting note: Mr. Brians tell us that "the English use 'sick' exclusively for vomiting; when Americans say they feel sick, the English say they feel ill. Americans visiting Great Britain who tell their hosts they feel sick may cause them to worry needlessly about the carpeting."