Nauseous, thought to have entered English as early as the 1600s, meant “inclined to nausea, easily made queasy”. Today, it is an adjective describing something that causes nausea. The adjective denoting the feeling “made sick” is nauseated.
Tag Archives: word usage
Fill the bill: Avoid folk etymology and the rest will follow
Expressions fascinate me. There must surely be cultural influences that shape the development, as well as the nuances of, language. I’m always happy when I uncover the origins of yet another idiom, and I’m always dismayed when I see someone misusing and/or misspelling that same idiom.
Toe the line: Spelling expressions correctly will help your writing pass muster
My interest in the social, religious, economic and other factors shaping etymology and the development of language is more than a fascination and correct word usage more than an obsession. That’s why I really get my knickers in a twist when I see people misuse and misspell common expressions.
metaphortuitous.ca 