Oh, hey, where did April go? No matter; Happy May Day and Beltane to all! Let’s get on with it.
based off of vs. based on
I have ignored this usage issue for years because it seemed so obviously wrong and illogical. Every time I heard or read “based off of” I automatically inserted the word “jump” between “base” and “-d” because that was the only possible way it could make sense. This phrase has become a pervasive weed. Let’s apply some herbicide, right now.
Imagine a base, a foundation. It’s what you build on; it supports stuff. If you put something off of a base, you are removing it, so it’s no longer supported or connected to the base. Yes?
The film was based on a bestselling novel.
Your conclusion is based on faulty data.
in behalf vs. on behalf
In behalf of means “for the benefit of.” On behalf of means “in place of” or “representing.”
The defense attorney entered a plea on behalf of his client/on his client’s behalf.
We raised money in behalf of the orphanage/in the orphanage’s behalf.
octopuses vs. octopi
Octopus is not, nor has it ever been, a Latin word. Some well-meaning or possibly just uptight grammarians a while back decided that octopi was more correct because it looked like the legitimate Latin plurals, and so it entered the literature. You will still find marine biologists who prefer octopi when discussing multiple species of octopus, and it isn’t strictly speaking incorrect, but in most cases octopuses is just fine.You may also go with octopods for more informal writing.
Pegasus
…is this guy:
His dad was Poseidon. His mom was Medusa. Somehow a sea god and a great-granddaughter of Chaos created an immaculate winged stallion. Just go with it. My point here is that Pegasus was an individual, not a species. If you’re talking about winged horses like the cutie things in Fantasia, call them winged horses, not Pegasus or Pegasi or Pegasuses.
Thanks for reading!