People sometimes write “weary” (tired) when they mean “wary” (cautious), which is a close synonym with “leery.” “Leery” in the psychedelic era was often misspelled “leary,” but since Timothy Leary faded from public consciousness, the correct spelling has prevailed.
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Paul Brians’ latest blog post discusses one of death’s most popular euphemisms.
This is the tenth year of the Common Errors in English Usage calendar. To celebrate, we are bringing back some of our favorite interesting, funny, but sometimes merely silly entries through the years before going on hiatus in 2016.
Enjoy the calendar? Buy the book!
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