Just an Everyday Mistake We See Every Day

“I go to work everyday.” “Low prices everyday!”

This very common mistake falls in the category of “things that make me want to poke my eyes out.” I know that seems like an extreme reaction, but I am passionate about certain things. The fact that we’re all bombarded every day with the misuse of everday is not helping me, or you, our impressionable children, or anyone who is just learning the ropes of the English language.

To review, “everyday” is an adjective meaning “encountered or used every day; ordinary.”

“Every day” (two words) means “each day.”

So you might say, “I wear my everyday clothes every day” (i.e., “I wear my ordinary clothes each day”), but you probably wouldn’t say, “I wear my each day clothes ordinary.” Some of you might wear your each day clothes ordinary, but I’ll bet most of you wear even your everyday clothes with style and panache. I certainly do.

For some reason, many people have trouble putting that space in “every day.” Perhaps their thumbs are too exhausted to hit the space bar, or maybe emptiness disturbs them so much they just can’t handle seeing that little space. For the first condition, I recommend a multivitamin, daily exercise and a good night’s sleep; for the second, I recommend meditation and frequent stargazing.

Please, I like my eyes; don’t make me poke them out.