# Abuse-a-word-a-day

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 29, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762 "2010-10-29T14:04:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762/1 "2010-10-29T14:04:42Z")

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Today, whenever possible, substitute “montage” for “mortgage” and vice versa.

Help select tomorrow’s words.

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762/2 "2010-10-29T14:38:17Z")

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Great idea. These are called “Malapertisms,” BTW.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762/3 "2010-10-29T14:47:03Z")

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> [@Larry\_Mudd](#):
>
> Great idea. These are called “Malapertisms,” BTW.

Raucous! I like that. I found ONE online reference to it.

Sunday’s words: Particle for partisan.

Sample usages: Right-wing particle; subatomic partisan

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**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762/4 "2010-10-29T15:19:11Z")

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For Saturday: “Salinity” instead of “sanity.”

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/abuse-a-word-a-day/558762/5 "2010-10-29T23:14:19Z")

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Just use [ascertain](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dr_3S4GcZNo) a lot.