Oh no! Mariah Carey has made a real no no in her new single, “A No No.”
At about 1:04 she uses a non existent word, “irregardless.” There is no such word in the English language. The word you want is regardless. That’s it. No “irr.” (You can check the backlink. Some people think this is ok. It’s not. I can’t listen to it again. It’s like chalk nails on a chalkboard.)
From Merriam Webster:
The worst part of this is that “A No No” is pretty catchy, and I was grooving with it. But really, unless Mariah wants to promote illiteracy, she’s got to change it. How hard can it be? Mariah, Epic Records, pull it down and fix it. You will be forgiven.
Yes, there’s lots of bad grammar in pop music. It’s allowed sometimes to fit meter, or mood. But a totally wrong word– no no no. Unless the word is purposely twisted to make it funny. Then we all get the joke. But this is not a joke. I may not be able to sleep tonight.
Take “Caution,” Mariah. Get a copy editor, next time.
