How's That Again?

Last night, one of the kids was complaining about something hubby was doing, which he found disquieting. He attempted to use the word "unnerving" but he actually said "un Irving." When I asked him to repeat it, he said it the same way. I then explained what the word actually was, and why it means what it means. First he looked at me as though I was trying to sell him a bridge, and then he completely tuned out midway through my explanation. Sigh. Kids.

Something else I hear, from adults, is "half fast" when they mean to say "half-assed." Fine that they're not using a quasi profanity, but it's just not correct. One refers to a tempo between slow and speedy, and the other refers to a lukewarm attempt to do something. How about some people's lukewarm attempts to learn their vocabulary? Or were they only proceeding at medium pace and missed half of it?

I'm sure I mangle our spoken language as much as many others who give it the Lawn Guyland twang, but I may be too much of a purist to be living in America in 2010. But I perservere.