I am by far at my worst in the summer: consistently broken out, sweaty, and frizzy-haired by the time I get anywhere. I’m so disgusting and disheveled by the time I get to social functions that I’m surprised anyone looks at me, let alone talks to me.

If this sounds overly whiny, hyperbolic, petulant, please, try living in New York for a summer. The oven-like heat might make you feel nauseated if you’re not accustomed to it. Because of my overdramatic nature, I’d go so far as to say that summers in New York are nauseous.

“Nauseous” and “nauseated” are two very commonly confused words. People often use “nauseous” when they mean “nauseated.” For example, you WOULDN’T say, “I feel so nauseous right now” when you’re trying to say, “I feel like I’m going to throw up right now.” To express the condition of feeling like you’re going to throw up right now, you’d use the word “nauseated.” So the correct way to use “nauseated” is: “I feel so nauseated right now.”

“Nauseous” means that something is so disgusting or vile that it induces you to want to throw up. It’s often used as an exaggeration, as used in the sentence above: “Summers in New York are nauseous.”

See previous posts on a) my love of grammar sticklers, and b) NPR’s recent NYC vs. LA in the summer smackdown.

(via flavorpill)