…I do not think it means what you think it means.

In this case, the word is “adjacent,” and the misuser of that word is my optometrist. I got a notice in the mail the other day informing me that it was time for my eye exam, and the pamphlet reminded me that the doctor’s office was located “adjacent” to Lenscrafters.

So, the thing is, it’s not adjacent to Lenscrafters; it’s inside Lenscrafters. RadioShack is adjacent to the doctor’s office.

This doctor’s office has been using that phrase for several years now to describe their location, and even so it still tripped me up when I read it.