Queensland floods - for my sanity, please mind your language

My television will be wearing a size ten shoe the next time I hear someone refer to the "enormity" of the flood disaster.

Time for Grammar 101.

'Enormity' does NOT mean enormous, it means excessive wickedness, or something monstrously evil. Now, many people might indeed believe the floods were evil, nevertheless, most who use 'enormity' do not have this context in mind. 'Enormousness' is used of size.

As the dictionary on my Mac explains:

USAGE This word is imprecisely used to mean 'great size,' as in : it is difficult to comprehend the enormity of the continent, but the original and preferred meaning is 'extreme wickedness,' as in : the enormity of the mass murders. To indicate enormous size, the words enormousness, immensity, vastness, hugeness, etc., are preferable.

Many people nonchalantly use enormity where enormousness belongs. If the shopping centre is enormous, do not speak of its enormity. That would make no sense at all.

My prayers to all flood-affected victims.

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