One of the most commonly misused word pairs is flare/flair, but it was distressing to see the Indianapolis Star make that mistake in a recent headline. The item was a brief review of a restaurant that serves Latin American cuisine, and the headline read “Brunch with Latin flare”. I assume they meant that the food and mood reflected Latin culture, which would have called for “flair.” A flare, on the other hand, is a flaming torch. Then again, maybe the writer was merely hinting that the food was a bit too spicy.
Speaking of food, one of the top catering companies in Indianapolis recently ran a full-page ad in the Indianapolis Business Journal highlighting their work at corporate events, weddings, and “partys.”
I was reminded of Pink Floyd’s “we don’t need no education” refrain while observing the battles in a failed local school referendum. The group leading the charge against increasing taxes to pay for schools proudly posted a photo from its rally on social media — and right in the middle was a woman whose sign railed against “Wreckless Spending.” (I’m all for spending that eliminates accidents.) Another social media message from the group included this retort: Are kids are fine. (When called on it, the poster blamed autocorrect, today’s handiest villain.)