Back in February 2019 in episode 660 of the podcast I discussed the controversial word

irregardless and whether it was in fact a word since pre-pandemic life is just a blur for a lot of us, we thought we'd revisit

the topic and dig into how people use it a little more. So regardless, or irregardless, of whether you love it or hate it like most people, take a deep breath and hear me out.

Grammar Girl here, I'm in Y Fog Fog Fog, your friendly guide to the English

language. Stick around because after we talk about Irregardless, I have a great

segment about the interplay between spoilers and plot twists for all the people

participating in National Novel Writing Month and all the readers who just want to view into

the way writers can start stories.

Back in episode 660, we noted that irregardless is in fact a word but a non-standard word more on that in a bit and I

still think what I said back then is true it's not going to become standard

usage anytime soon editors aren't going to become standard usage anytime soon. Editors aren't going to

start letting it slip by and people aren't going to stop complaining about it.

The word snuck is in the past tense of snake has largely made that transition much to people's

dismay, but it does not look like irregardless is going to follow in its footsteps.

As I said then, regardless means regardless, without regard or despite something. In the case of

Irregardless, the prefix I-R seems to function as an intensifier according to some lexicographers people who

compile dictionaries.

Merriam Webster's usage guide article is irregardless a word mentions similar words starting with I.R. in English

like Irresistless meaning resistless which is listed as archaic, and irremediless, meaning remedyless.

But I-R is a negative prefix, so if you add it to a word that's already negative, like regardless, you're technically making a double

negative that means without, without regard. When you look at it that way, it seems like a crime to

use it, right? But you may be surprised to find out that

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