>>BTW, how does one corrupt a language? By bribe? :)
>
>
>You choose:
>
>4: to alter from the original or correct form or version
>intransitive verb
>1 a: to become tainted or rotten
>
>I'm sure it is one of the two :o)
Intransitive verbs are out of the question and answer in this case.
As for the 4th meaning being the contextually correct one here... well, I told you so. Just like the substance abuse: "he kept the salt in his darkest cellar, with no light, food, water or fresh air, and nearly zero visitation rights; he would only occasionally come and poke it with a blunt steel instrument".
