C:

Bless them for holding a line on it. I'm a great believer in the dynamic flux of living language and the color and rhythm of plain talk. But there is a faint, fine line between extending the language, stretching it in positive ways, and abusing it.

Sometimes it is hard to make the distinction. But my sense is one needs to pay the dues of learning the real scope and discipline of the language he inherits, in order to build from there. I hate to see our beautiful tongue made less just because of crass habits, laziness, and the refusal to know how it works.

It just plain distressses me -- like seeing someone scratch up a Martin, our pound nails with a crescent wrench.

A