Uh Oh! The Curmudgeon is Loose!

From time to time, an alter ego escapes and shows up here. I've named him The Curmudgeon, because he's clearly a testy male. He's also an editor and a critic of misuses of the English language. I've tried to lock him away, but alas, he spotted something the other day that got his ire up. I'm losing my grip on him--

I'm tearing out my hair. I read a phrase the other day that upset me. I stood it for as long as I could manage, but it's just too much. I had to elbow my way out of my dungeon when the guard came with my lunch.

as of lately

Argh!!! This is a mashup of two separate phrases that mean about the same thing: lately, and as of late, referring to past events.

People! Don't use them both at the same time!!! One of them is certainly enough to convey your meaning.

Okay. I'll go back to my snug little hidey-hole. My mistress has made it as comfortable as possible. She hates it when I get out, So DON'T MAKE ME COME UP THERE AND SHOUT AT YOU AGAIN! She might get so out-of-sorts that she'll take away the simple pleasures of life, like my access to the Interwebs.

Sheesh!