Sponge (spotted on Huffington Post)

Jon Kyl Sponges Remark That Was ‘Not Intended To Be A Factual Statement’ From Congressional Record
April 21, 2011

Nice editorial oversight. And this is the woman who’s supervising all of AOL’s news content? Let the record show the correct word is expunge, which, according to the trusty NOAD, means to “erase or remove completely (something unwanted or unpleasant).” Even the commenters seem to know that.

— Otto E. Mezzo

Reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/21/jon-kyl-factual-statement-congressional-record_n_852257.html?ref=fb&src=sp

Solvency (spotted on CNN.com)

A ‘stupid’ mistake or murder?
April 9, 2011

…Even with the new information, however, authorities caution that the full picture of what happened that day, leading to David Hartley’s death, may never be known.

“It didn’t happen in the United States,” said Zapata County, Texas, Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez.

And Mexican authorities, he told CNN, have “somewhat of a zero solvency rate, and a zero conviction rate.”

“So unfortunately, this case may remain open forever, even though the information and the evidence may be there,” according to Gonzalez…

With the never-ending U.S. budget crisis, you would expect to find the word solvency in the news — just not in a crime story. Solvency has never referred to the solving of crimes. It means “the ability to pay one’s debts” (New Oxford American Dictionary).

And speaking of which — Sheriff Gonzalez, you owe me one.

Otto E. Mezzo

Reference: http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/03/09/murder.in.mexico.falcon.lake/index.html?hpt=C1