I once had a curmudgeon reviewer try to explain to me that the word mitigate 
was not a verb.  I chose not to listen to him.

In regards to impact, a simple search on dictionary.com reveals:

"Usage Note: The use of impact as a verb meaning “to have an effect” often 
has a big impact on readers. Eighty-four percent of the Usage Panel 
disapproves of the construction to impact on, as in the phrase 'social 
pathologies, common to the inner city, that impact heavily on such a 
community'; fully 95 percent disapproves of the use of impact as a 
transitive verb in the sentence 'Companies have used disposable techniques 
that have a potential for impacting our health'. It is unclear why this 
usage provokes such a strong response, but it cannot be because of novelty. 
Impact has been used as a verb since 1601, when it meant 'to fix or pack 
in,' and its modern, figurative use dates from 1935. It may be that its 
frequent appearance in the jargon-riddled remarks of politicians, military 
officials, and financial analysts continues to make people suspicious. 
Nevertheless, the verbal use of impact has become so common in the working 
language of corporations and institutions that many speakers have begun to 
regard it as standard. It seems likely, then, that the verb will eventually 
become as unobjectionable as contact is now, since it will no longer betray 
any particular pretentiousness on the part of those who use it. "

Paul J. Mohler
NCDOT Archaeology Unit

>From: Tim Thompson <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: standards
>Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2006 22:52:33 -0400
>
>Yargh! I feel like one of those crusty old curmudgeons, at least one of 
>which shows up on everyone's dissertation committee, but in the interest of 
>students and the impressionable young that might be on this list, I'm 
>compelled to point out:
>
>Amy, "impact" is not a verb. I know the native speaker is always right (Dr. 
>Hardaman beat it into my brain) but we don't have to be natives of the 
>community of illiteracy.
>
>Marcy, the expression is not ". . . fair so well . . ." but " . . . fare so 
>well . . .", as in "wayfaring" or traveling.
>
>Academic and bureaucratic gobbledy gook is bad enough, but can't we 
>maintain some devotion to clear writing?
>
>Tim T.
>pedantic curmudgeon