Phrases that people get wrong

[somethingshiny]

In another thread I saw the phrase "hard enough row to hoe" which is correct. However, it got me thinking of SEVERAL people (IRL) who seem to think the phrase is "road to hoe" (which always makes me think of turning tricks on the highway...

)

So, what expressions or common phrases do you hear incorrectly uttered?

Another one I can think of is when I heard a girl say the words to America the Beautiful. She referred to the "amber waves of gray" !

 

[monarch64]

"For all intensive purposes" rather than, "for all intents and purposes."

 

[indecisive]

lol I have heard someone say it''s a "doggy dog" wold instead of a "dog eat dog" wold!

 

[AGBF]

The expression, "What''s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander" is mangled in different ways. Some people say, "What''s good for the goose is good for the gander" (which is wrong, but at least makes sense). There are many other variants of this that make less sense, though. Keep an eye out for them. They never fail to amuse.

AGBF

 

[E B]

"I could care less."

I see this one all the time!

 

[somethingshiny]

Date: 8/16/2009 9:03:21 PM
Author: EBree
''I could care less.''


I see this one all the time!

I loathe and despise that! My sis says it and it makes my skin crawl.


Another one is "six and one half dozen or the other" instead of "six of one, half dozen of the other."

 

[Moh 10]

Disorientated instead of disoriented.

Insure vs. ensure.
Insure refers to the business of insurance.
Ensure is to make something certain.
Lots of official published things get this wrong.

Save 30% off.

 

[charbie]

Date: 8/16/2009 9:20:58 PM
Author: Moh 10
Disorientated instead of disoriented.

Insure vs. ensure
Insure refers to the business of insurance.
Ensure is to make something certain.
Lots of official published things get this wrong.

Save 30% off.

I worked as an orientation leader for a summer in college. The word "orientated" in general makes me want to haul off and hit someone.

Supposed vs. suppose.

 

[Upgradable]

don't take it for granite

fustrated
bower instead of borrow

 

[cindygenit]

Someone said disoriented one time, and it confused me.

What i found out after 15 mins of research on the internet is that disoriented is the earlier version of thw word. After the 1950s, the word orientate came to be and later, orientation. Hence, disorientated essentially means the same as disoriented but its a newer word in the dictionary.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

"Minus well"
"on the fents"
"Imparticular" - It''s not a word and yet there are something like 40k google hits for it.

And "I could care less" makes me want to hit something.

 

[cellososweet]

pacific/pacifically instead of specifically (really. I''m not kidding).

 

[star sparkle]

Supposably instead of supposedly. Makes me want to ram my fist into someone''s face.

 

[Amethyste]

Your instead of You're
and There instead of Their
Innernet instead of Internet
Nucular instead of Nuclear
Then instead of Than
Fiancee instead of fiance... and all of the vices and versas

 

[Haven]

I think we've found a new source of rage--rhetoric rage.

I never want to get physical when I hear these, but they do make me cringe:

"Whole nother" and "irregardless" are really awful, in my opinion.
When people use "enormity" when they should use "enormousness." I think many people believe "enormousness" is not a word, but it certainly is.

Okay, so I only really have one phrase to add to this discussion, but hearing those two words misused irks me to no end.

 

[hlmr]

This one drives me crazy!!! I have heard many realtors say:

"Money is no option"

instead of "Money is no object"

I always want to ask, what do you mean money is no option? Will they be paying with tiddly winks?

 

[somethingshiny]

Oh, and this one "You cease to amaze me"--along the lines of "could care less", totally not what they meant!

 

[tiffanytwisted]

Date: 8/16/2009 9:41:25 PM
Author: Upgradable
don''t take it for granite

fustrated
bower instead of borrow

Are you sure they weren''t talking about countertops??

the overuse of per se drives me crazy

 

[FrekeChild]

Ok, so it''s a word instead of a phrase, but it bugs me, and I have seen the usage of it increasing and it''s driving me nuts.

rediculous instead of ridiculous.

 

[Dannielle]

"Thats ironical"

 

[Nomsdeplume]

It drives me INSANE when people spell lose like this: "loose"
or definitely: defanitely

 

[swingirl]

In California it''s common to hear, "on accident" instead of "by accident".

 

[Circe]

"Waiting with baited breath" instead of "waiting with bated breath" always makes me think of the old "Tom and Jerry" cartoons where a predator baits his spring-loaded mouth with cheese.

 

[Dandi]

Date: 8/16/2009 9:41:25 PM
Author: Upgradable
don''t take it for granite

fustrated
bower instead of borrow

*SNORT*

AHH!!! The ''could care less'' one KILLS me!! And it''s everywhere!!!

 

[cindygenit]

Date: 8/17/2009 2:02:39 AM
Author: Circe
''Waiting with baited breath'' instead of ''waiting with bated breath'' always makes me think of the old ''Tom and Jerry'' cartoons where a predator baits his spring-loaded mouth with cheese.

That one kills me!

 

[makemepretty]

Itch my back.

Or itch anything. You mean SCRATCH...it already itches and you want it scratched, not itched.

 

[kiett98]

...when people pronounce the "l" in salmon.

 

[Upgradable]

saying something is "broke" instead of broken. DH does this! I start in about using proper tense, and he says "you''re making ME tense!"

 

[radiantquest]

This is hilarious. It is amazing that people are the way that they are. I have said things wrong when I was younger, but have since been corrected. The ones that really get me going are the ones that result from pure laziness. Usually in kids. I know some that even have been corrected and continue to say the words this way.

basghetti
libary
wanna
Febawary

 

[Moh 10]

Correct - She was enamored of him.

Incorrect - She was enamored with him.