WRECKED

posted by James Reel

    It's nice that the National Public Radio news department is enjoying a hiring binge, but could NPR please employ reporters who are familiar with correct English usage? This morning, one reporter told us that the East Coast snowstorms are "wrecking havoc." This would be a good thing, I suppose; havoc is being "wrecked," demolished, by the snow, and order is restored, right?
    This is a stupid error I'm seeing from a lot of writers these days. Come on, people: havoc is "wreaked," meaning "inflicted." If you don't know the difference, you don't belong in a word-oriented profession.