The other day, I was driving home listening to NPR as I am wont to do on most days.  I listen to NPR because honestly, all the other news radio sucks even worse than theirs does.  I try to mostly listen to the BBC (usually always error-free because they are BRITISH) or the non-news programming, whatever.  I don’t need to explain away my shameless abuse of public radio to you.  I had a giant meltdown with NPR 3 years ago and our relationship has never been the same.  But I digress.

I am listening to NPR, and I SWEAR TO BABY JESUS, the reporter says this word:

INTERNECINE

At least I think that’s the word she’s trying to say, because she pronounces it like this:

INTERNȲCȲNE 

Long i sounds on the last two syllables.

ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING.

Look, I’m not an asshole.  That’s a word with which not everyone is familiar.  I’m not going to hold a normal person responsible for maybe never having seen that word before, and having trouble their first go-round with it.  But you are a reporter, ma’am.  Saying words can be possibly difficult at times but aren’t you supposed to practice that shit?

Let me just list the words that radio and TV people get wrong all the time:

ET CETERA:  It’s Latin, folks.  Quit fucking it up.  A dead language cannot rise up and defend itself.  There’s no ECK.

HEIGHT:   It is always this word.  There is no “th” on the end.  Ever.  EVER.

MOOT:  Moot and mute are two different words that do not mean the same thing.  Stop it.  It drives me absolutely batshit crazy.

ORIENTATE:  Not. A. Fucking. Word.

RESPITE:  Again with the long iiiiiiii’s.  Noooooooooooooo.

and last, but oh, not least, and the timeless classic:

NUCLEAR

Just, uh, insert mushroom cloud here.