I Feel Nauseated

Okay, let's get this over with. I have a lot of things I am indignant about. No, it's true. One thing I loudly grouse about is the incorrect usage of nauseous. Today I read an advice column that quotes an English usage authority, the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Tenth Edition (10C). It says:

The 10C's definition of "nauseous" is as follows: "1: causing nausea or disgust : NAUSEATING 2 : affected with nausea or disgust." Then there's a (rather exasperated-sounding) usage note, to wit: "Those who insist that nauseous can properly be used only in sense 1 and that in sense 2 it is an error for nauseated are mistaken."

The columnist insists pretty much on sticking by the 10C, from what I've read, even though she admits to previously believing usage 2 to be wrong, as I do. So I did my own digging. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition notes a Usage Problem with definition 2, and says:

Traditional critics have insisted that nauseous is properly used only to mean “causing nausea” and that it is incorrect to use it to mean “affected with nausea,” as in Roller coasters make me nauseous. In this example, nauseated is preferred by 72 percent of the Usage Panel. Curiously, though, 88 percent of the Panelists prefer using nauseating in the sentence The children looked a little green from too many candy apples and nauseating (not nauseous) rides. Since there is a lot of evidence to show that nauseous is widely used to mean “feeling sick,” it appears that people use nauseous mainly in the sense in which it is considered incorrect. In its “correct” sense it is being supplanted by nauseating.

This tends to justify my belief that it is a case of incorrect usage seeping into the language. The reason no one thinks nauseous sounds right in its correct usage is because people have started using nauseating. Other dictionaries -- Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc., WordNet ® 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University, On-line Medical Dictionary, © 1997-98 Academic Medical Publishing & CancerWEB -- show only definition 1. I stand by my conviction. I may not speak perfect English, but there are some things I will never let go. That's what makes me charming!

Smooches!