Michele: “I’m excited to see my nieces next week.”
Kris: “Nieces?”
Michele, truculent, already knowing what’s coming: “Yes, Kristen, my nieces.”
Kris: “You only have one niece that I know of, unless your brother’s been busy lately.”
Michele: “I also call my cousin’s daughters my nieces. As you know.”
Kris: “But ‘niece’ is a word with a specific meaning. It means the daughter of your sibling. As you know.”
Michele: “Yes, but ‘second cousin’ does not convey the close relationship that I have with them. Nieces is better.”
Kris: “Woman! You can’t just bend the language to your will like this! Words have meanings. This is important. Me and the Grammar Nazis will come for you!”
Tami, who up until now has been silent: “The Grammar Nazis and I.”
Michele and Rachel burst out laughing and I have no recourse but facepalm.
Ring the bell. School’s in, sucker.