Maybe it is the English major in me, but I am getting bugged with all the made-up words that are out there. On the radio, they have been singing jingles involving something called a 'stay-cation'. Apparently, this is a vacation where one doesn't go anywhere. A local TV station had a contest where the winner was able to win a car by staying in it longer than his competitors. They called it 'Carvivor'.

I hate to break it to them, but those aren't real words. Making up your own words in private conversation is one thing, but to shell out money for TV and radio time to use made-up words only displays your illiteracy.

And would people just stop referring to any type of scandal as ___gate. Watergate was the hotel members of the Democratic National Committee were staying during the scandal that forced Nixon to resign. Labeling anything else with the 'gate' suffix is moronic. Papergate? Please. Worst off was the Scandalgate, which means absolutely nothing. Redicilous.