Abstract
Dr. Jortner has brought to our attention the use of excessive adjectival modifiers, specifically pathologic lesions, whose use is redundant and creates confusion in descriptive pathology. We are reminded in the humorous editorials of W. J. Hadlow 1 and F. R. Robinson 2 of various “pet peeves” in relation to incorrect grammar usage in writings and conversation within the discipline of veterinary pathology. Such incorrect usage is commonplace, as emphasized by more than 5 million hits for the term pathologic lesions in a Google search. Many of the hits contained pathologic lesions in the titles of peer-reviewed articles of high-impact journals and even usage within writings of prominent members of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists. This demonstrates the continued influence of popular culture on phrase construction and word usage, even penetration to the technical realm and slippage through the editorial process of Veterinary Pathology.