Word of the Week #4

solecism \SOL-uh-siz-uhm\, noun:


1. A nonstandard usage or grammatical construction; also, a minor blunder in speech.

2. A breach of good manners or etiquette.

3. Any inconsistency, mistake, or impropriety.

Example Sentences:
"An accurate report of anything that has ever been said in any parliament would be blather, solecism, verbiage and nonsense."
-- "Hansard of the Highlands", Times (London), February 17, 2001

"In those days smoking in the streets was an unpardonable solecism."
-- Edmund Yates, Recollections

Origin:
Solecism comes from Latin soloecismus, from Greek soloikizein, "to speak incorrectly," from soloikos, "speaking incorrectly," literally, "an inhabitant of Soloi," a city in ancient Cilicia where a dialect regarded as substandard was spoken.