Anyone else the least bit piqued by some of the imprecise language creeping into news headlines and stories?
My latest is the frequent use of the word gas instead of gasoline, as in the latest headlines:
“California sets gas price record for second day running”
“California gas prices hit a record and Sacramento’s prices are even higher”
“Don’t blame Biden for high gas prices”
“Florida’s gas prices continue small drops even as holiday travel ramps up”
Cars use gasoline, not gas, as in natural gas, which people burn in their homes to keep warm and electricity companies burn to generate power.
Maybe it is because I was reared in and worked in the grease orchards of North Texas, which produced oil and natural gas. I’ve even driven pickups fueled with “drip,” the distillate produced when “wet” natural gas first comes out of the ground.
Gasoline and gas are not the same thing. Yes, the word gas fits better in a print headline, but most of those above heds were from broadcast media. No excuse.
Now, as for news stories and headlines that use the word kids instead of children, kids are young goats. That gets my goat.
4TH ST8 
Good one. Now, my nominee for overused and useless word? “Right.” Overused on TV by all the smart news, anchors and reporters. Most frequently the word follows a complete statement in declarative mood. It is meant to be a statement of fact as voiced by the speaker. So, why ask a question as if there is doubt? It happens over and over with some of them. Topping it off is the rise in pitch when saying the word. That really makes a certain fact as uncertain. Let’s kill that usage. Right?
Right!
Ever the editor…
Everyone needs one.
Good funny to pick up my day. Yes, my “children” get my goat!
How about Greatest of all time (goat) is a poor acronym. Or it’s a good acronym that I don’t like!
On a completely different note, I wonder if the people that lived in the dark ages thought it was dark?
Or did they think they were at the pinnacle of civilization?
They were the pinnacle at the time.
Interesting new book “The Bright Ages,” by David Perry and Matthew Gabriele argues that the Middle Ages were not “dark” at all.
It does look interesting, petey, Thanks!