[antoko]

I hate to be "that guy" but "irregardless" is not actually a word. I have known some people to use the word ironically but that doesn't come across well in text.

regardless - without regard to

irrespective - without respect to

adding the prefix ir- and the suffix -less is doing the same thing twice, its a double negative.

Ha, there's even a wikipedia entry[1], I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irregardless

[sejje]

You sure stepped up in spite of your distaste. The word has been in print since 1795? Yep, better chastise this guy!

Also, double negatives are common in many languages, and were common in English in the past. It's a relatively recent evolution that it's considered bad practice.

Additionally, there's no authority on words, so to speak. "Proper language" is a reflection of how people speak the language. Irregardless isn't going anywhere, it's in widespread use.

[antoko]

Why would you think I'm chastising rather than educating?

You're reading snark where none was intended, and responding in kind.

Double negatives are a problem when you're actually trying to use a single negative which is the case here.

I wasn't offering myself up as an authority on words, I'm pretty bad at both spelling and grammar.

Also, as a Brit living in the US I'm also well aware of different uses of words/spellings and agree that the point of language is communication, and irregardless doesn't cause confusion, as it is obvious what someone means when they use the word.

The whole point of prefacing my comment with, "I hate to be that guy", was to suggest that I'm not actually that guy to soften any perceived insult/criticism.

[pheleven]

It reminds me of the old short "The Parlor":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmDPdCzCfFM