ALOT

            I always try to figure out why people make the mistakes they do. Sometimes it’s easy; in this case it’s not.

            My only guess is that people extrapolate their misspelling of “a lot” from the word “apiece.”

            Whatever the cause, the unholy merger of “a” and “lot” is simply pandemic. In the past week, at least five of my Facebook friends have used it, including a state political leader and a local office holder.

            Bottom line: “a lot” is always two words. Period. End of story.