Growing up an adverb (a verb modifier) often used, actually misused, was “irregardless.” When used, it was often placed in a sentence to emphasize that something would happen or not happen based on some other criteria. In common use you might hear someone say, “I am going to the store to get some ice cream irregardless of what anyone says.” Rarely did I hear anyone correct the speaker, out of courtesy or just ignorance.
According to Webster’s Dictionary “irregardless” is a nonstandard use of the word regardless. This is a polite way of saying it is not a word, but not slang either. Webster’s admits that this is a clear example of a double negative and that the “ir” is redundant and not needed. To justify its inclusion in the dictionary they cite “irremediless,” “irresistless,” and “irrelentlessly” as other similar words. Even though these are also nonstandard words, Webster’s uses them to justify “irregardless.” Regardless of what you read on the internet or hear spoken, irregardless is not the proper word to use when you mean regardless.
So, in our current woke society when you hear someone use “irregardless,” “irremediless,” “irresistless,” or “irrelentlessly” you can give yourself a pat on the back for knowing they are not real words, and a second pat for being woke and not correcting the speaker.
At first you might have thought our second word was practical, but no it is practicable. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries practicable was a word in common use, but not so much today. Practicable is a particularly useful word and we believe should come back into more common use.
Practicable is an adjective that is used to describe something that can actually work. It might also be used in the sentence “Joe developed a plan that was evidently practicable.” Meaning Joe’s plan was both practical and implementable. The plan could be done, and it makes sense.
So, casually drop practicable on your friends in a sentence and look both intelligent and well read. It is the only practicable thing to do.
