[King Prout]

yes, people use "decimated" when they should instead use "annihilated" (latin: an+nihil = "to nothing") with or without a modifiers such as "almost" or "nearly"

as a classicist, the misuse of "decimated" has long annoyed me.

but, cheer up: the abominable non-word "irregardless" is almost extinct.

[King Prout]

an+nihil = AD+nihil

need more coffee

[King Prout]

about the only descriptor they have used correctly is "devastate"

Much of New Orleans has indeed been laid to waste.