Grammar girl here. Today we're going to talk about the words addictive and addicting and

whether they're interchangeable. Some people say addicting isn't even a word. Are they right?

Before we start, this is Minyan. There was a death in my family a few weeks ago and I have gotten really behind. So this week's show has two

segments from the archives. I went all the way back to 2015 to find two that I really like and I think many

of you won't have heard before and I still have a new

familek at the end. Enjoy the show.

Getting back to our question, an unnamed caller asked this.

My friends and I were having an argument the other day about whether TV watching was appropriate or not,

and someone said it was addictive and another person said it was addicting, and then it broke off

into whether the proper word was addictive or addicting. Could you please explain this whole thing for us?

Would you feel better if I told you that you and your friends aren't the only ones who are arguing

about whether the right word is addictive or addicting?

There is actually a raging debate and there's even one unconfirmed account of a tobacco lobbyist trying to use

the uncertainty to influence policy. If you want to be safe, stick with

television is addictive. Addictive is an adjective meaning it describes a noun.

Remember Schoolhouse Rock, he was a scary bear, he was a hairy bear and we

described him with adjectives. Harry, scary, and addictive are adjectives.

And School-Lass Rock was addictive TV.

Now, there are definitely people who argue that addicting isn't a word.

They say that addict is a noun, not a verb.

However, I did the simple thing.

I looked it up.

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