Here’s a gem of a headline from the Washington Post this morning:
Floods swamp Iowa town; Drinking water near gone
Drinking water near gone? Last time I checked, near is an adverb that references location and nearly, also an adverb, means almost. So...do I understand the story correctly? The drinking water, which is close by, is also gone?
I’m so confused.
[One of my friends regularly sends me emails referencing similar mistakes. This post is for you, buddy.]



