[Help!]

Apparently the definition of "epidemic" has spread beyond having to do exclusively with disease and infection: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/epidemic 1: affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time 2a : excessively prevalent b : contagious 4 3: characterized by very widespread growth or extent : of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic

[ladyjane]

No question the meaning of the word epidemic has changed, thanks largely to poorly educated journalists. But the word still connotes an infectious or contagious growth.

I have seen no evidence of Freepers ‘catching’ the spelling disease.

Misspellings are prevalent among Freepers but it’s endemic to the group here. They didn’t contract the disease at this site as one would in an epidemic.

So endemic would be the more appropriate term.