Ah, January...Time To Be Confused About Dates

We don't know about you, but the checks we've written since the new year all say 200910. This isn't the only way to mess up a date, as Linnea D. has reminded us. She found this goof on a word-nerd blog:

“Originally, ‘blizzard’ involved no snow, wind chill, or wintry conditions at all. The Oxford English Dictionary records it as an early 18th century word for a sharp, violent blow, first found in 1829.”

Linnea writes: "Oops! The 18th century and the 1800s do not refer to the same era, Mark! He should have written 'an early 19th century word,' as the OED actually states."

True enough. It's an easy mistake to make. We hereby resolve to be more careful.