‘Irregardless’ is a word. Deal with it.

Kory Stamper, a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster, pleads with people to quit peeving about irregardless—a perfectly legitimate word that’s been around for a century:

Many people claim is that “irregardless” is not a word–but, see, the facts tell us it is. I have evidence of its use in edited, printed prose, going back to about 1912. It’s probably been in spoken use even longer. … If you think “irregardless” is a crusty, weeping pustule marring the face of English, then don’t use it. But there’s no need to act like “irregardless” is an untreatable cancer of the language.  We got through John Dryden and his asinine “no terminal preposition” rule okay–we’ll get through “irregardless,” too.

Facts and Truth, Irregardless | Harm·less Drudg·ery.

February 2, 2012