I’ve mentioned before that I am a fan of language and of words. I edit each draft of these columns carefully again and again to be sure I have the right word that says what I intend and not something else. A few examples.

Places of residence have bathrooms in which you can take a bath (or a shower). Restaurants have restrooms. No bathing here. Still on the subject of bathing, words can grow old and out of date as similar words take their places. At one time everyone who went in the water wore a bathing suit. No longer. Bathing suit is archaic and marks you as being of a "certain age". Now we speak of swim suits. Check print ads for stores. None advertise bathing suits. Now they are selling swim suits and Sports Illustrated has its annual swim suit edition. No bathing suits here. In fact, very little of swim suits either.
The choice of a word can change in a subtle way the message of a sentence. A politician is reported to have had an affair and a reporter confronts him for a comment. Check these two possible outcomes. "Mr. Jones declined to comment" or "Mr. Jones refused to comment on the allegations." The first example is neutral. The second suggests in a subtle way that Jones possibly has something to hide.

This is an election year so let’s try an election example. "John Jones won a seat on the City Council in yesterday’s election" or "Jones soundly defeated Bill Smith in yesterday’s election." The first example puts the emphasis on who won what. The second focuses your thought on the supposed beating Smith took at the polls.
Since writing this column I have become aware of another instance of the misuse of related words. An article is written by one or more persons on a single subject and occurs in print most often once. Magazine articles are good examples. So are the articles in special sections of your Sunday newspaper. They appear in print once and that’s it. A column as authored by one or more persons appears regularly and on a variety of subjects. Dr. Oz’ medical advice in the newspaper is a column, not an article. So is The Passing Parade.

Here’s a couple of words that may turn you on...or turn your stomach. I have in mind nauseous and nauseated. You’ve heard it and maybe seen it in print from published authors with inattentive editors. I feel nauseous means I cause nausea in others. I’m sure neither the speaker nor the author intends this. What he or she has in mind is nauseated, meaning feeling sick in your stomach without the involvement of others. Two rather every day words that sound somewhat alike but whose meanings are polar opposites. And misuse can be the cause of personal embarrassment, if not a queasy stomach.

Assuming you may be in danger of developing a headache from the above, I’ll mercifully stop here.  You get the point about words and language. My fondness for them is another matter. Or, as Julia Child might exclaim in this setting, "Bon langage!"