Excited ABOUT, not “for” – DAILY WRITING TIPS

Reader Alex has called my attention to a strange new usage with the word excited:

People say ‘excited for’ instead of ‘excited about’: “I’m excited for Avatar.” It sounds clearly wrong to me.

It sounds wrong to me as well. The phrase is being spread at a furious rate by entertainment writers.

Anyone getting excited for Dan Brown’s new novel – The Lost Symbol?? (gaming site)

Lions fans at Ford Field excited for Ndamukong Suh (sports site)

Kirstie Alley Excited for 17-Year-Old Son’s Wedding (celebrity gossip site)

A gaming site called NeoGAF seems especially determined to spread the abomination. Google tracks 8,190 examples from that site.

I can think of one context in which “for” instead of “about” following excited could be justified: when one is sharing a friend’s excitement. On the pattern of “I am happy for you,” one could say “I’m excited for you.”

Otherwise, standard usage calls for excited about, as in these examples in which the writers (including entertainment writers) got it right:

Why I Am Excited About the iPad

Rube Goldberg competition gets teens excited about STEM

Why you need to be excited about SpyParty

Rivers excited about RB prospects

Rolling Stone’s Reasons To Be Excited About Music