TV Commentator: Both presidential campaigns are gearing up ahead of the November election.

Viewer: You mean they're gearing up BEFORE the November election?

As reader NJ DeVico of Titusville, N.J., reminds me, "ahead of" has replaced the straightforward "before" in the blather of the commentariat. And just tonight I heard the local TV weather forecaster say, "We're expecting a warming trend ahead of the weekend." I decree, "Off with their 'aheads'!"

More dispatches from the Word Front . . .

— "Weaponize" of Mass Destruction — "Weaponize," which first surfaced during the 1950s in reference to placing nuclear warheads atop ballistic missiles, has now become a trendy buzzword for any form of intensification.

John Kelly of Slate recently enumerated items that have been described as "weaponized": drones, religion, marijuana, information, Native American Halloween costumes.

Atlantic Monthly writer Whitney Phillips, for instance, observes that internet trolls "weaponize existing tropes and cultural sensitivities," while National Review writer David French claims the NCAA is "weaponizing sports" by boycotting North Carolina over the state's transgender bathroom law.

You might say that the word "weaponize" has itself been weaponized.

— Death by Granulation: In the old days, when we wanted to talk about specifics, we got into the "nitty gritty," examined the "nuts and bolts," or took out a "fine-toothed comb." But, as Mary Kaskan of Watertown, N.Y., reminds me, every microscopic examination is now conducted at the "granular" level.

The New York Times, for instance, recently reported that, "Neither Mr. Rubio nor Mr. Christie was particularly well known at a granular level among voters" (Did they neglect to campaign on beaches?), and that "Hillary Clinton flew to Cleveland to offer a granular critique of Mr. Trump's tax policies" (Did she bring her sand wedge?).

— What Goes Around Comes Around: For years, I've winced whenever academics used "around" for "about," as in, "We need to have a discussion around that issue." And now this nefarious piece of educationese malware has muddied the message of a major university.

When, in the wake of a sexual-assault case, Stanford announced a ban on hard liquor at campus parties, the president and provost wrote a letter stating that students, staff and faculty have worked together "to build a healthier campus culture around alcohol."

Really?

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.