Dictionaries are important!

I'm glad we picked this book to read in December. I think it provided a much-needed dose of humor in a busy, busy month. The entire group agreed that this book had its’ funny moments, but it also raised some points that made us think, and lead to a lively discussion. Such as: what is a “real” word? If I say a word to you, and you understand my context and meaning, then that word is “real”, at least to you and me. Word meanings change over time, as does word usage. What’s important to remember is that if the word has a context and general usage that many have adopted, it should be widely understood. We also got into our word pet peeves. One member hates people misusing “Lie” and “Lay”, while another person mentioned the misuse  of the word “Loose” when “Lose” is what the speaker wanted to convey. Our language allows some creativity in making hybrids of words in certain situations, and sometimes these hybrids are adopted into regular usage. All words are important, and our language is flexible enough to change when necessary.