Consider the following entry from the 11th edition of Merriam-Webster's, and perhaps you, too, will mock Merriam:

where
Function: conjunction
Date: 12th century

1 a: at, in, or to what place <knows where the house is> b: at, in, or to what situation, position, direction, circumstances, or respect <shows where the plan leads> c: the place or point at, in, or to which <couldn't see from where he was sitting> <kept that horse and gentled him to where I finally rode him — William Faulkner>

2: wherever <goes where she likes>

3 a: at, in, or to which place <the town where she lives> b: at or in which <has reached the size where traffic is a problem> <two fireplaces where you can bake bread in the ovens — Randall Jarrell>

4 a: at, in, or to the place at, in, or to which <stay where you are> <send him away where he'll forget> b: in a case, situation, or respect in which <outstanding where endurance is called for>

5: that <I've read where they do it that way in some Middle Eastern countries — Andy Rooney>

Though Merriam-Webster's fifth definition (meaning its most recent definition), where in the sense of "that" is insupportable — at least among those who understand that how they speak and write is a reflection of who they are and how they are regarded. The laxicographers at Merriam-Webster support the insupportable.

Merriam-Webster's promotes the misuse of where, but it does not include the far more interesting and useful cyanope.

More Mock Merriam

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