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Dear Annie: What is the protocol when a dear friend repeatedly uses an incorrect word or incorrectly pronounces something when speaking to you? For instance, recently, my friend was speaking of the proper “protocol” for visiting a doctor’s office (under these pandemic conditions), but she said “portacol,” which is not a word. It was not a slip of the tongue, because she repeated the word several times throughout the conversation. Since we were talking directly, and no one else was present, should I have asked something like, “Do you mean protocol?” Other times, my friend has referred to “postate” problems of relatives. How do you politely correct someone in this type of situation? Or during these trying times, do I just chill out and get a life and not sweat the small stuff? -- Wondering in Anywhere, USA