In a conversation with a fellow (not embroidery) blogger the other day, we were discussing trendy blogging and social media topics. We got on the subject of how words are used these days, and I listed off a few pet peeves.

For example, I don’t like the prevailing use of verbs as nouns and nouns as verbs. I gave a few examples: fail as a noun, adult as a verb, art as a verb.

I have to pay bills. I guess it’s time to adult.

I’m going to art all day long today!

I had a big adulting fail yesterday, when I slept till noon and missed work.

Cake fail. Cooking fail. Building fail.

It rubs me the wrong way.

As the topic progressed, I was challenged to write an article about an “embroidery fail,” and to use the term “fail” the way I don’t like using it.

(I’m only explaining this whole backstory so that you know why the title of today’s article is what it is!)

And just to clarify – I know that there is a history of “fail” being used as a noun in the academic sense. The way it’s used today, though, is just as a shortened version of failure.