Steven Pinker on "literally" ; and some other linguistic things...

"Using locum as the subject is wrong but has become the norm I think."

A bit like another habit that irritates me: Forensic science abbreviated to forensic. Forensic means relating to a court of law and could apply to any number of specialities, not just science.

Lovely stuff! Too tiddly tired to comment further.

Think it's locus (nominative case therefore subject) and locum (accusative therefore object). Locus means place so locum tenens means placeholder. Plural of locus is loci. However it's the holder that needs to be plural. Agree with tenentes. Using locum as the subject is wrong but has become the norm I think.
Ready to be corrected by classics experts!

That makes "locum" the object, not the subject . . .

Does "locum tenens" mean "placeholder" - so the plural is placeholders - the holders are plural but the place is not?

Ah, so "locum" doesn't have to agree with "tenens" because "tenens" or "tenentes" is a verbal noun, comprising person and action, and "Locum" is the subject therefore doesn't need to be plural. Fascinating stuff.
Need a drink...

On the subject of Latin plurals, I wondered what the plural of locum is a while back.

Singular: Locum tenens
Plural: Locum tenentes

Locum is just an abbreviation.

I like Pinker, if you do too, this and this are a good read.

On the subject of italics, this is a good quote from Attwood:

I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.
I didn't say she stole my money.

My friend peppers her conversation with the word. She is the kindest person in the universe, so I concentrate on that as it seems far more important.

Oh! I love this: "Messing up the order of delimiters in a way that doesn’t reflect the logical nesting of their content is just an affront to an orderly mind."

[linguistic fun emoticon]