Someone who’s captious (KAP-shus) — from the Latin — is difficult to please, apt to make a big deal out of trivial faults or raise petty objections.

Example (as used by MaryEllen Tribby today): “No one likes to be around captious people. Aside from the fact that they take the fun out of things, their negativity can be draining and counterproductive.”

A dilettante (DIL-ih-tahnt) — from the Latin for “to delight” — is a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for amusement.

Example (as used by Bob Bly today): “These dilettantes [people who publish online without caring if they make money by doing it] post their stuff on the Web and give it away for free.”

Here’s another batch of amusing mistakes gleaned from the media, each followed by a mischievous retort. If you’ve ever committed an embarrassing linguistic error, it may be comforting to know that even professional journalists and their editors can be guilty of blunders and howlers.

Warning: In some instances, you may have to read the passage carefully to spot the error or problem being ridiculed.
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Palmary (PAL-muh-ree) — from the Latin for “deserving of the palm of victory” — means laudable or praiseworthy.

Example (as used by Bob Bly today): “The desire to have a huge mailing list is a palmary goal but it is not necessary for success.”

Paltry (PAWL-tree) — from the Greek for “ragged” — means ridiculously or insultingly small in amount; not worth considering.

Example (as used by Simon Jerdon today): “The cost of his help reduced our paltry profit… to less than nothing.”

Apotheosis (uh-poth-ee-OH-sis) — from the Greek for “to deify” — is the elevation of a person to the status of a god.

Example (as used in The New Yorker): “[In her recent show at Radio City Music Hall, Lady Gaga] served up dollops of self-help, offering her own apotheosis as an inspirational parable for her fans. ‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t be anything you want to be,’ she said.”