Common_Errors_in_English_usage

usually flat, whereas the top of a number 1 often slopes down to the
left. If your writing is to be reproduced electronically or in print,
it's important to hit that number key at the top left of your keyboard
to produce a true number 1.
LCD DISPLAY/LCD
"LCD" stands for "liquid crystal display," so it is redundant to write
"LCD display." Use just "LCD" or "LCD screen" instead.
Many people confuse this abbreviation with "LED," which stands for
"light­emitting diode"­­a much earlier technology. You will often see
explanations even in technical contexts in which "LCD" is incorrectly
defined as "liquid crystal diode."
LOL
The common Internet abbreviation "lol" (for "laughing out loud") began
as an expression of amusement or satirical contempt: "My brother­in­law
thought the hollandaise sauce was gravy and poured it all over his
mashed potatoes (lol)." It has become much overused, often to indicate
mere surprise or emphasis with no suggestion of humor: "The boss just
told us we have to redo the budget this afternoon (lol)." And some
people drop it into their prose almost at random, like a verbal hiccup.
It is no longer considered hip or sophisticated, and you won't impress
or entertain anyone by using it.
Note that this initialism has had two earlier meanings: "Little Old
Lady" and "Lots Of Love."
LAISSEZ­FAIRE
The mispronunciation "lazy­fare" is almost irresistible in English, but
this is a French expression meaning "let it be" or, more precisely, "the
economic doctrine of avoiding state regulation of the economy," and it
has retained its French pronunciation (though with an English R):
"lessay fare." It is most properly used as an adjective, as in
"laissez­faire capitalism," but is also commonly used as if it were a
noun phrase: "the Republican party advocates laissez­faire."
LAND LOVER/LANDLUBBER
"Lubber" is an old term for a clumsy person, and beginning in the 18th
century sailors used it to describe a person who was not a good seaman.
So the pirate expression of scorn for those who don't go to sea is not
"land lover" but "landlubber."
LANGUISH/LUXURIATE
To languish is to wilt, pine away, become feeble. It always indicates an
undesirable state. If you're looking for a nice long soak in the tub,
what you want is not to languish in the bath but to luxuriate in it.
The word "languid" (drooping, listless) often occurs in contexts that