The Toxification of Words
By Emily Monosson / On April 26th, 2012
Disclaimer: Some words may have been harmed in the process of writing this blog
As a scientist who fled from college course offerings beginning with ENG I fully regret this decision, particularly when sheepishly resorting to the synonym key, followed by a quick dash to Wikipedia for further advice on how to use words. Words matter, particularly if one decides to go public with them.
And so, it was with some chagrin that I read a recent email, taking me to task for my use of the word “toxics,” which I’ve pasted verbatim - for lack of better words: