Nothing is Pristine

by Jake Sigg

I hate to be a nitpicker; however, I'm fixated on language deterioration, and I don't like seeing it in Bay Nature. To wit, in "Shifting Sands" (Apr-Jun 2008): "This is perplexing since the encampment is perched on the shore of one of the most pristine embayments on the Pacific coast." Pristine ("in its original condition"; "unspoiled") Tomales Bay is not. Nothing on earth is, and "one of the most pristine" rubs salt in the wound.

Thanks for keeping us on our toes! "Pristine" is now on our list of words to watch for. — Editor