It sounded to me like Colin was talking about something that has affected him or someone he cares about personally. In such cases, a technical or pedantic reply

It sounded to me like Colin was talking about something that has affected him or someone he cares about personally. In such cases, a technical or pedantic reply is at best beside the point, and at worst pours salt on a wound. My sister- and brother-in-law tried for years to have a child. Finally they adopted an infant, only to have her die a couple of months after she was born. A person facing something like that does not care about "impoverishing the English language".