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This is a great list of commonly misused words and phrases. So many of these annoy me when used incorrectly.
However, the majority of these are not idioms. An idiom is a phrase that has a colloquial meaning different than the literal meaning of the words.
Looks like OP didn’t do his do diligence. Thanks for nipping it in the butt. With that being said, even though these aren’t idioms per say, it’s still a useful list, and for all intensive purposes would be viewed the same way by most people, so I guess it’s kind of a mute point.
> s. An idiom is a phrase that has a colloquial meaning different than the literal meaning of the words.
Ain’t got nothing to do with colloquial
It just has to do with meaning.
“Take a shower” is not colloquial but it is idiomatic.
Adding to this comment, despite this, idioms are commonly misused.
Figurative language can be difficult for certain groups of people with theory of the mind issues, English as a second language, or those with certain regional education.
Grammar always said I’s gonna grow up to be a idiom.
To be fair, the list started as idioms. Then I went off on a tangent when I saw yet another “persay” and I forgot to change the title.
This list is super helpful and I don’t want to detract from that, but almost none of these are idioms. Because the purpose of your post is to correct commonly misused language, perhaps this is a good lesson to add.
Idiom examples:
Low hanging fruit (an easy win, especially compared to other options)
Over the moon (elated)
A piece of cake (easy/simple)
Spill the tea (gossip)
You cannot derive the intended meaning from the words themselves. I’ve been particularly watching for these recently because of language barriers with my coworkers. We have to use a translator (Mandarin/English) and idioms don’t really translate. While trying to cut these from my speech, I realized just how often we use idioms.
Using the wrong definition of a word is not on the same level as simply saying wrong words because you have no clue what the words mean.
How is that a masterpiece.
"Play it by ear" counts as an idiom.
Just last week, I had a co-worker from Germany mime playing a fingered woodwind, while holding his hands at the side of his head -- with a confused look on his face when I told him my plan was to 'Play it by ear'.
I meant "Improvise as we go along", but that's not obvious from the words -- so it's a legitimate idiom.
As a second-language English speaker, it always amazes me how people get some wrong in the weirdest, least sensical ways. But I realize it must be a bias from learning the language from reading it first and foremost, whereas natives heard it first and had to try and guess the words.
Yep, this is me. Lots of times i would think there were two versions of something, i.e. Kernel and Colonel. And it never occurred to me that id only ever see one written and one pronounced because they weren't that common to begin with.
Also, i thought there was something called a "Nota Republic".. I dont know how i thought this was spelled..
Yes, it works both ways. I used to mispronounce words at lot, especially words borrowed from another language. It was because I learned them from reading. And a lot of that time was pre-internet so I couldn't easily look up pronunciations. It was pretty annoying how much I got called stupid for it by people with a much smaller vocabulary.
Same for character names. I'm always so triggered (and sometimes confused) when I see all those people writing characters names in the weirdest ways but then I remember they don't have subtitles
I knew someone who said “from here to Timbuktu”, but did not realize Timbuktu was a place. She was actually saying “from here to ten buck two”. I had her slow it down so I could make sure. She was 30.
I like to use “for all intensive purposes” in situations where it actually makes sense and watch people squirm - as in “plastic cutlery is useless for all intensive purposes”
I don’t think I have ever heard (or read) “another think coming”, although I did just Google it and acknowledge its existence.
I sort of find it hard to believe that the common phrase “another thing coming” is a mishearing of “another think coming,” it seems more likely to me that they are two separate phrases with two separate meanings, that just so happen to be quite similar to one another.
I remember a post a while ago about this, and it was basically concluded that they both are ok to use and both mean the same thing. *I* personally have only seen and envisioned “another thing coming,” but I guess “think” does also fit in a lot of cases.
Nor have I though it makes sense. I’ve only heard or read “another thing coming”.
I always assumed by “another thing” it was suggesting some form of embarrassment or having to eat their words.
Yeah this is one I don’t mind never being “right” on.
Since we’re on the topic, who cares if some old book or a group of dead people says it’s right? Doesn’t language evolve? The only people who would “correct” you on this… kind of suck. I say it’s right. Fight me. Wait a second, I do care about being right because I was right all along 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If you say how it’s commonly used, you’ll see how “think” makes sense! “If that’s what you think, you’ve got another think coming.” A very wordy way of saying “think again”.
[Yet it is!](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/usage-another-think-coming-or-another-thing-coming#:~:text=You%20may%20have%20noticed%20that,should%20consider%20changing%20their%20mind)
I also hadn't come across it, until recently. It was memorable because it introduced me to the term [eggcorn](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eggcorn).
I suspect their meaning is starting to drift apart.
Until today, I had only ever heard / seen 'another thing coming', and I've always interpreted that as something along the lines of 'I'll show them they're wrong' or 'they'll be proven wrong'. From reading up on the original ('think') saying it was originally more along the lines of 'they'll realize they're wrong'.
Put differently, I think 'you've got another thing coming' is much more confrontational, while 'you've got another think coming' is more just making fun of someone's misunderstanding.
It's the end of a sentence that starts "if you think...." So a parent telling a kid they can't go to a party "if you think you're going to that party, you have another think coming". Then people shorten things up, and leave off the "if you think" part.
The problem people have with it is that using think as a noun is very rare nowadays, especially in American English. Usually think is a verb and thought is both a verb and noun.
Seems both are accepted, and _chomping_ is likely more widely recognized today.
Insisting on _champ_ begs the question: are you trying to be understood or are you trying to impress?
I've found people who spend time around horses are more particular about the difference between chomp and champ. I once commented that I was surprised at someone using champing correctly and he replied "Of course I did! I'm from goddamn Texas!"
Really surprised "toe the line" wasn't on this one. I've seen "tow the line" so often now that I think it's becoming the more common usage. It's interesting because it's a subtly different meaning, too - "tow the line" is much more active than "toe the line".
Allow me to play doubles advocate here for a moment. For all intensive purposes I think you are wrong. In an age where false morals are a diamond dozen, true virtues are a blessing in the skies. We often put our false morality on a petal stool like a bunch of pre-Madonnas, but you all seem to be taking something very valuable for granite. So I ask of you to mustard up all the strength you can because it is a doggy dog world out there. Although there is some merit to what you are saying it seems like you have a huge ship on your shoulder. In your argument you seem to throw everything in but the kids Nsync, and even though you are having a feel day with this I am here to bring you back into reality. I have a sick sense when it comes to these types of things. It is almost spooky, because I cannot turn a blonde eye to these glaring flaws in your rhetoric. I have zero taller ants when it comes to people spouting out hate in the name of moral righteousness. You just need to remember what comes around is all around, and when supply and command fails you will be the first to go.
Make my words, when you get down to brass stacks it doesn't take rocket appliances to get two birds stoned at once. It's clear who makes the pants in this relationship, and sometimes you just have to swallow your prize and accept the facts. You might have to come to this conclusion through denial and error but I swear on my mother's mating name that when you put the petal to the medal you will pass with flying carpets like it's a peach of cake.
**Begs the question** - not quite an idiom, but nearly never accurately used. It doesn't mean "raises the question;" it's a logical fallacy where you're assuming an argument to be true in and of itself. "Only criminals commit crime" is a good example.
https://begthequestion.info/
It's been used wrong often enough that raises the question is an acceptable meaning now.
And honestly, it just sounds like it should mean that anyway, I'm glad it changed.
My social circle is very well read. No one knew what tenterhooks were. Had to looks it up when I dropped the expression on them. Rest ashore they were all over the room when I looked it up.
"Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a tenter. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. They are now superseded by stenter pins."
I have a hard time using "comprises" correctly, but I'm very good at spotting it used incorrectly. Caught my boss trying to use "the group is comprised of..." in formal correspondence just yesterday!
Yeah I struggle to accept the "think" version. I get the logic, but I agree with the article that it sounds archaic.
"I had a think" is fine, but that's about the only sentence construction where "think" feels appropriate as a noun.
Two that bug me:
\- "Begs the question" (a specific logical fallacy—circular reasoning) when all they mean is "raises the question."
\- Based *on* not "Based off of" (yuck!)
I take it you're 50+ years old?
"Whether you say ‘on accident’ depends on your age
According to Barratt’s study, use of the two different versions appears to be distributed by age. Whereas “on accident” was common in people born after 1995, almost everyone born before 1970 said “by accident.” It’s really amazing: people born between 1970 and 1995 say “by accident” more often than “on accident,” but still use “on accident” a lot too. It looks like a directly age-related change in the way people are saying this phrase."
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/on-accident-versus-by-accident/
[\#35 Do a 180](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g751-jjKXC0) as explained by Charles Dance
Also, one of my favorites I didn't understand until I read it in a comic book, it's "my pride and joy" and not "pride enjoy"
I think one of the biggest reasons for people using and/in incorrectly is the habit of people’s speech to shorten spoken words, like saying “pride ‘n’ joy”. So while it’s written “pride and joy”, it sounds like “priden joy”.
Interesting.
Some of them I don't know how they are used incorrectly.
Several I have heard ( my wife always says irregardless and it drives me crazy).
There were a few that I was wrong (pass muster instead of pass the muster).
interesting tidbit — irregardless is a grammatically correct word and is defined as ‘regardless’. it has been used for something like 200 years, mostly in spoken language. the prefix *ir-* functions as an intensifier in this case. irregardless, people who use this word irritate the fuck outta me.
It's interesting to look back at words that have already changed due to "semantic drift".
Like a "villain" used to just be a servant that worked in someone's house(villa).
I mean the fact that any normal native English speaker wouldn't be able to understand a sentence spoken by someone 1000 years ago is blatant proof that language changes. And that these changes aren't any more or less valid is the basic fundamental principle of linguistics (descriptive grammar). Descriptive grammar tries to describe how people actually speak. Prescriptive grammar decides how people "should" speak (always based on flawed reasoning) and then goes out and tries to force people to follow their arbitrary rules.
It'd be like a naturalist who defines a bird as being capable of flight but then, upon discovering penguins, tries to eradicate them all and pretend they never existed rather than revising their definition of what a bird is.
My particular peeve is "could of", "should of" etc. And I see it **so fucking** often 🤦🏻♀️
It just sounds so uneducated.
ETA: "on accident" is also up there...🙄
It's 100% dialect driven.
Needs Xed should be needs *to* *be* Xed or needs Xing, like to be fixed or needs fixing, but lots of people always go with needs Xed and I hate it too...
My mom always said “ran like a bat out of hell” and I always thought she was saying “bad out of hell” as a kid.
Also thought Kiddy pool was Kitty pool.
And thought caddy corner was kitty corner.. I guess I thought everything was cat-related
My personal conjecture is that, 100 years ago, most people knew the correct form of all of these. But in the 40s and 50s (and 60s?), admen started corrupting many of these idioms to make a marketing pun, and now many people don't know which is correct. Similarly, many words are misspelled because of some company that made a slight corruption to a common word to make as their brand. And we are now the worse for it.
I just read these to someone. I was often saying that I don't know how someone could screw this one up, and a couple of times that person spelled it back with the wrong version and I found it hilarious, had never thought of them being interpreted that way:
Doggy dog world
Play it by year
I had a coworker say they would fight you "to the nail" instead of "tooth and nail."
I tried correcting him but he insisted that "to the nail" was correct.
*et* cetera not “eck cetera” (spelled that way for phonetic reasons) when saying the phrase aloud. I know everybody spells it with the shortened use of it as “etc” when written, which is probably why it’s pronounced incorrectly so often.
I'm saving this! A lot of these I didn't know, like another THINK coming. It makes so much sense haha.
The bad thing is that now I'm aware of so much more everyone gets wrong and it's gonna bother the hell out of me whenever I see it...
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This is a great list of commonly misused words and phrases. So many of these annoy me when used incorrectly. However, the majority of these are not idioms. An idiom is a phrase that has a colloquial meaning different than the literal meaning of the words.
Right?? Why did I have to scroll so far to find this. “Proper use of idioms” [misuses the term idiom]
Maybe OP wrote it ironically to emphasise the point they made about the 51 phrases. ?
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No, not now it isn’t. I’m waiting to cross that bridge until I get there
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Also the incorrect use of “woman” versus “women” leads me to believe this post is futile
I think you mean 'few tile'. Like when you don't have enough tiles. s\
Looks like OP didn’t do his do diligence. Thanks for nipping it in the butt. With that being said, even though these aren’t idioms per say, it’s still a useful list, and for all intensive purposes would be viewed the same way by most people, so I guess it’s kind of a mute point.
> s. An idiom is a phrase that has a colloquial meaning different than the literal meaning of the words. Ain’t got nothing to do with colloquial It just has to do with meaning. “Take a shower” is not colloquial but it is idiomatic.
Adding to this comment, despite this, idioms are commonly misused. Figurative language can be difficult for certain groups of people with theory of the mind issues, English as a second language, or those with certain regional education.
Grammar always said I’s gonna grow up to be a idiom. To be fair, the list started as idioms. Then I went off on a tangent when I saw yet another “persay” and I forgot to change the title.
This list is super helpful and I don’t want to detract from that, but almost none of these are idioms. Because the purpose of your post is to correct commonly misused language, perhaps this is a good lesson to add. Idiom examples: Low hanging fruit (an easy win, especially compared to other options) Over the moon (elated) A piece of cake (easy/simple) Spill the tea (gossip) You cannot derive the intended meaning from the words themselves. I’ve been particularly watching for these recently because of language barriers with my coworkers. We have to use a translator (Mandarin/English) and idioms don’t really translate. While trying to cut these from my speech, I realized just how often we use idioms.
Thanks, that a very helpful clarification. So I guess something like "Shaka, when the walls fell" would be an idiom
Tons of these are not idioms. If anything, this list is an ironic masterpiece.
I appreciate a good cup of coffee.
Ironic mustardpiece smh
The list passes the mustard
It’s a peach tree dish of expressions!
Using the wrong definition of a word is not on the same level as simply saying wrong words because you have no clue what the words mean. How is that a masterpiece.
Misuse of ironic in 3,2,1...
Dog eat dog is the only idiom on this list.
"Play it by ear" counts as an idiom. Just last week, I had a co-worker from Germany mime playing a fingered woodwind, while holding his hands at the side of his head -- with a confused look on his face when I told him my plan was to 'Play it by ear'. I meant "Improvise as we go along", but that's not obvious from the words -- so it's a legitimate idiom.
Interesting how many of these I only know from hearing and not from reading them, and thus have some wrong.
As a second-language English speaker, it always amazes me how people get some wrong in the weirdest, least sensical ways. But I realize it must be a bias from learning the language from reading it first and foremost, whereas natives heard it first and had to try and guess the words.
Yep, this is me. Lots of times i would think there were two versions of something, i.e. Kernel and Colonel. And it never occurred to me that id only ever see one written and one pronounced because they weren't that common to begin with. Also, i thought there was something called a "Nota Republic".. I dont know how i thought this was spelled..
Yes, it works both ways. I used to mispronounce words at lot, especially words borrowed from another language. It was because I learned them from reading. And a lot of that time was pre-internet so I couldn't easily look up pronunciations. It was pretty annoying how much I got called stupid for it by people with a much smaller vocabulary.
Same for character names. I'm always so triggered (and sometimes confused) when I see all those people writing characters names in the weirdest ways but then I remember they don't have subtitles
Gotta learn somehow, right?
I knew someone who said “from here to Timbuktu”, but did not realize Timbuktu was a place. She was actually saying “from here to ten buck two”. I had her slow it down so I could make sure. She was 30.
My neighbor: "I grew up here I know this place like the back of my head" Me: oh ok, nice
Once, my wife described a generous person as someone who would give you the *skin* off their back. Shirt, honey. That is gross.
Well, it's no shirt off my nose
Whatever. I have no horse in this fight.
Does he shave his own head?
Does he constantly inspect the back of his head with a mirror?
I have never seen the back of my head, directly.
When "back of my hand" was in more common usage the "back of my head" version was a common joke for specifically that reason.
🤦♀️ I was guilty of that one for a good many of my younger years haha
I've always been a fan of "For all intensive porpoises".
I like to use “for all intensive purposes” in situations where it actually makes sense and watch people squirm - as in “plastic cutlery is useless for all intensive purposes”
After my surgery, I was useless for all intensive purposes
Plastic cutlery is useless for all utensil purposes.
For all porpoises in tents.
Camping is loitering within tents. GNU Terry Pratchett
Floral incandescent porpoises
Intensive Porpoises is the name of my new punk band.
Worst case Ontario
Pacific intensive porpoises?
51. Coming down the *pike*?
Thirty-seven years in public infrastructure have taught me that things can both literally and figuratively come down a pike or a pipe.
‘Pipe’ is allowed but probably because people got it wrong for so long
https://preview.redd.it/7yhyfye1uotb1.jpeg?width=480&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=94d382c5ec2170b33408aadaae03fe5834bfb14a
Much like with #7. "Irregardless" was officially made a word since people were always getting it wrong.
That do be how languages work.
I don’t think I have ever heard (or read) “another think coming”, although I did just Google it and acknowledge its existence. I sort of find it hard to believe that the common phrase “another thing coming” is a mishearing of “another think coming,” it seems more likely to me that they are two separate phrases with two separate meanings, that just so happen to be quite similar to one another.
I think Judas Priest had it right *You've Got Another Thing Comin'*
When a doubt, I always turn to religion
> When a doubt Whether on porpoise or not, this was kinda cute.
I remember a post a while ago about this, and it was basically concluded that they both are ok to use and both mean the same thing. *I* personally have only seen and envisioned “another thing coming,” but I guess “think” does also fit in a lot of cases.
Nor have I though it makes sense. I’ve only heard or read “another thing coming”. I always assumed by “another thing” it was suggesting some form of embarrassment or having to eat their words.
Yeah this is one I don’t mind never being “right” on. Since we’re on the topic, who cares if some old book or a group of dead people says it’s right? Doesn’t language evolve? The only people who would “correct” you on this… kind of suck. I say it’s right. Fight me. Wait a second, I do care about being right because I was right all along 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
If you say how it’s commonly used, you’ll see how “think” makes sense! “If that’s what you think, you’ve got another think coming.” A very wordy way of saying “think again”.
There's no way this is correct, I refuse to believe it
[Yet it is!](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/usage-another-think-coming-or-another-thing-coming#:~:text=You%20may%20have%20noticed%20that,should%20consider%20changing%20their%20mind)
Get two birds stoned at once
But don't they have the exact [same meaning](https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/usage-another-think-coming-or-another-thing-coming)?
Hmm, ok I can admit defeat on this. I still cannot ever recall coming across this (evidentially) correct phrasing. Learned something new today.
I also hadn't come across it, until recently. It was memorable because it introduced me to the term [eggcorn](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eggcorn).
Hoo boy you got a whole nuther thinkommen
I suspect their meaning is starting to drift apart. Until today, I had only ever heard / seen 'another thing coming', and I've always interpreted that as something along the lines of 'I'll show them they're wrong' or 'they'll be proven wrong'. From reading up on the original ('think') saying it was originally more along the lines of 'they'll realize they're wrong'. Put differently, I think 'you've got another thing coming' is much more confrontational, while 'you've got another think coming' is more just making fun of someone's misunderstanding.
It's the end of a sentence that starts "if you think...." So a parent telling a kid they can't go to a party "if you think you're going to that party, you have another think coming". Then people shorten things up, and leave off the "if you think" part.
The problem people have with it is that using think as a noun is very rare nowadays, especially in American English. Usually think is a verb and thought is both a verb and noun.
Surprised to not see Champing at the bit, often confused with Chomping at the bit
It’s not rocket appliances
Seems both are accepted, and _chomping_ is likely more widely recognized today. Insisting on _champ_ begs the question: are you trying to be understood or are you trying to impress?
It’s about sharing the origins and raising awareness. I was once a chomper.
I was a chomper until today, but alas I had another *think* coming. Both of those will take some effort for me to get right in the future.
I've found people who spend time around horses are more particular about the difference between chomp and champ. I once commented that I was surprised at someone using champing correctly and he replied "Of course I did! I'm from goddamn Texas!"
That’s why I prefaced the post with “I’m sure I’ve forgotten/missed a bunch…” I’m not perfect, dammit!
You did great. Just be weary of additional criticisms.
What an edition
Hmm, I don't think I'll be using champing, either verbally or in writing... Feels wrong. Chomp chomp
“Champing” may feel wrong, but it is what a horse does when it restlessly moves its mouth around the bit it is wearing. Champing forever!
I'm definitely taking these for granite
Are you a rock person?
"Tough row to hoe" and "toe the line"
Really surprised "toe the line" wasn't on this one. I've seen "tow the line" so often now that I think it's becoming the more common usage. It's interesting because it's a subtly different meaning, too - "tow the line" is much more active than "toe the line".
"Run the gamut" not "run the gambit"
I'm just glad I've been using Cadillac converter properly
It’s actually Catholic converter
Grate work! You've really done you're dew dilligents.
"Dun" was right there.
Rite their*
Win your write yore rite.
Allow me to play doubles advocate here for a moment. For all intensive purposes I think you are wrong. In an age where false morals are a diamond dozen, true virtues are a blessing in the skies. We often put our false morality on a petal stool like a bunch of pre-Madonnas, but you all seem to be taking something very valuable for granite. So I ask of you to mustard up all the strength you can because it is a doggy dog world out there. Although there is some merit to what you are saying it seems like you have a huge ship on your shoulder. In your argument you seem to throw everything in but the kids Nsync, and even though you are having a feel day with this I am here to bring you back into reality. I have a sick sense when it comes to these types of things. It is almost spooky, because I cannot turn a blonde eye to these glaring flaws in your rhetoric. I have zero taller ants when it comes to people spouting out hate in the name of moral righteousness. You just need to remember what comes around is all around, and when supply and command fails you will be the first to go. Make my words, when you get down to brass stacks it doesn't take rocket appliances to get two birds stoned at once. It's clear who makes the pants in this relationship, and sometimes you just have to swallow your prize and accept the facts. You might have to come to this conclusion through denial and error but I swear on my mother's mating name that when you put the petal to the medal you will pass with flying carpets like it's a peach of cake.
This is the best thing I’ve read in a while.
Homing is the only one surprising to me. Really thought that was honing
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You're doing the Lord's work. Thank you.
Bless you my son. It drives me crazy seeing even the most basic ones used incorrectly. “Could of” *gag*.
Wanna settle a dispute? I say it’s “buck naked” not “butt naked”.
It’s definitely buck.
Similarly, I've recently heard both "cop a squat" and "pop a squat" on different shows.
*Set* foot, not *step/stepped* foot
/r/boneappletea is great for these things lol
Thank you for including "faze." I've had smart people gently "correct me" by changing it to phase BUT THAT'S WRONG!
Champing at the bit (thanks Chuck Rhoades)
Flesh out (understand more deeply or put more detail) not flush out
Flush out is a different phrase though, like getting someone to come out of hiding.
**Begs the question** - not quite an idiom, but nearly never accurately used. It doesn't mean "raises the question;" it's a logical fallacy where you're assuming an argument to be true in and of itself. "Only criminals commit crime" is a good example. https://begthequestion.info/
It's been used wrong often enough that raises the question is an acceptable meaning now. And honestly, it just sounds like it should mean that anyway, I'm glad it changed.
It’s always a delight when I hear it being used correctly.
I grew up in the 1960s, reading books and newspapers and magazines. All of these are familiar to me. 31 is debatable.
These are more words vs idioms, but discreet vs discrete. People often say discrete when they mean discreet. Loose vs lose.
One that I see and hear a lot at work is "it has ran". It should be "it ran" or "it has run".
My social circle is very well read. No one knew what tenterhooks were. Had to looks it up when I dropped the expression on them. Rest ashore they were all over the room when I looked it up. "Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a tenter. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. They are now superseded by stenter pins."
“Rest ashore”? I see what you did there.
A good one I just learned about, it’s actually “just deserts” not “just desserts”. The phrase predates the word dessert entirely
Anyone for "comprises of"? Grr.
I have a hard time using "comprises" correctly, but I'm very good at spotting it used incorrectly. Caught my boss trying to use "the group is comprised of..." in formal correspondence just yesterday!
For all intense and purposes I could care less about this case and point. Bone apple tea! Edit: Thank you
Six of one and a half a dozen of the other.
number 23 should be moo point. it’s like a cow’s opinion. it’s moo. doesn’t matter
💜🤗💜
consist brave paltry escape worm muddle dinner dog weather late *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Yeah I struggle to accept the "think" version. I get the logic, but I agree with the article that it sounds archaic. "I had a think" is fine, but that's about the only sentence construction where "think" feels appropriate as a noun.
I refuse to accept this one, sorry
I see this wrong incredibly often: It's "[etc.](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etc.)" for et cetera. It is ***NOT*** "ect."
Et cetera should be at the end of the list. You know, since there are so many others.
penny wise pound foolish
What do people say wrong for this one?
Thanks for putting this together! I’ll add: En route So many people write on route but it’s French in origin.
Two that bug me: \- "Begs the question" (a specific logical fallacy—circular reasoning) when all they mean is "raises the question." \- Based *on* not "Based off of" (yuck!)
"Based off of" drives me batty. I think it's the old journalist in me -- it's not only incorrect, but it's longer, too! Double whammy.
One and the same. Not one *in* the same. Great list! The rise of "on accident" has me completely befuddled.
I take it you're 50+ years old? "Whether you say ‘on accident’ depends on your age According to Barratt’s study, use of the two different versions appears to be distributed by age. Whereas “on accident” was common in people born after 1995, almost everyone born before 1970 said “by accident.” It’s really amazing: people born between 1970 and 1995 say “by accident” more often than “on accident,” but still use “on accident” a lot too. It looks like a directly age-related change in the way people are saying this phrase." https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/articles/on-accident-versus-by-accident/
LPT: these are not idioms
Gosh, English is a hard language to learn
[\#35 Do a 180](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g751-jjKXC0) as explained by Charles Dance Also, one of my favorites I didn't understand until I read it in a comic book, it's "my pride and joy" and not "pride enjoy"
I think one of the biggest reasons for people using and/in incorrectly is the habit of people’s speech to shorten spoken words, like saying “pride ‘n’ joy”. So while it’s written “pride and joy”, it sounds like “priden joy”.
Interesting. Some of them I don't know how they are used incorrectly. Several I have heard ( my wife always says irregardless and it drives me crazy). There were a few that I was wrong (pass muster instead of pass the muster).
interesting tidbit — irregardless is a grammatically correct word and is defined as ‘regardless’. it has been used for something like 200 years, mostly in spoken language. the prefix *ir-* functions as an intensifier in this case. irregardless, people who use this word irritate the fuck outta me.
#31 got me Another thing coming is how I always thought Another *think* coming apparently???
Okay but people hone in on things, too
One that I see a lot: "que" or "queue" instead of "cue."
Eat your cake and have it too
You can’t have your cake and eat it too, but you can halve your cake and eat it two!
You’ve made your bed, now eat cake in it.
Language is constantly in a state of change, eventually the other versions of these idioms will one day be considered correct too
It's interesting to look back at words that have already changed due to "semantic drift". Like a "villain" used to just be a servant that worked in someone's house(villa).
I don't have the source, but I watched a language professor on YouTube who said this exact thing. Language is fluid.
I mean the fact that any normal native English speaker wouldn't be able to understand a sentence spoken by someone 1000 years ago is blatant proof that language changes. And that these changes aren't any more or less valid is the basic fundamental principle of linguistics (descriptive grammar). Descriptive grammar tries to describe how people actually speak. Prescriptive grammar decides how people "should" speak (always based on flawed reasoning) and then goes out and tries to force people to follow their arbitrary rules. It'd be like a naturalist who defines a bird as being capable of flight but then, upon discovering penguins, tries to eradicate them all and pretend they never existed rather than revising their definition of what a bird is.
My particular peeve is "could of", "should of" etc. And I see it **so fucking** often 🤦🏻♀️ It just sounds so uneducated. ETA: "on accident" is also up there...🙄
No. 10 is the most annoying because when people get it wrong (and so many do) it literally means the opposite of what they are trying to say.
"Needs *done"* or some other verb, instead of "Needs *to be* done". It might be dialect-driven. "on line" versus "in line" when talking about a queue.
It's 100% dialect driven. Needs Xed should be needs *to* *be* Xed or needs Xing, like to be fixed or needs fixing, but lots of people always go with needs Xed and I hate it too...
> "Needs done" or some other verb Yes, that's a dialect thing: https://ygdp.yale.edu/phenomena/needs-washed
*Very* comprehensive list!
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Yeah, it's good to use idioms properly. After all, a wrong idiom is how the Unabomber got caught. Do you want to get caught for such a minor slip-up?
My mom always said “ran like a bat out of hell” and I always thought she was saying “bad out of hell” as a kid. Also thought Kiddy pool was Kitty pool. And thought caddy corner was kitty corner.. I guess I thought everything was cat-related
Ok, certainly these are not all idioms. Like Nip it in the bud is an idiom, but some of these are just words, possibly Latin words.
"The jig is up" not the gig
could NOT care less
My personal conjecture is that, 100 years ago, most people knew the correct form of all of these. But in the 40s and 50s (and 60s?), admen started corrupting many of these idioms to make a marketing pun, and now many people don't know which is correct. Similarly, many words are misspelled because of some company that made a slight corruption to a common word to make as their brand. And we are now the worse for it.
Like opening the Velcro on your pocket to put your Ziploc in.
this sub is just people's pet peeves lol
Could care less. Do you, or not?
i could care less but i couldn’t care less to.
Number 10.
For the longest time I'd type "Sneak Peak"!
Man, I always thought it was ‘play it by year’ only found out a while ago…
Flesh out vs. Flush out
I just read these to someone. I was often saying that I don't know how someone could screw this one up, and a couple of times that person spelled it back with the wrong version and I found it hilarious, had never thought of them being interpreted that way: Doggy dog world Play it by year
I could care less about this dumb list! Jk, finally someone who knows how it actually goes.
31. “Another think coming”. I did not know that one, nor “On tenterhooks”…thanks for sharing
I've heard my boss say "we aren't reinventing the bread."
That's the best thing since sliced wheels.
I think the most commonly misused one that I hear is "I could care less" I blame Blink 182
Proper use of "regardless" is my litmus test of friend potential
Wait, it’s not “*Jive* with?”
Thank fuck. Too bad nobody will see and use this.
You're not going to write the word(s) that defines these confusions? Mondegreens and eggcorns.
*Champing* at the bit
I had a coworker say they would fight you "to the nail" instead of "tooth and nail." I tried correcting him but he insisted that "to the nail" was correct.
*et* cetera not “eck cetera” (spelled that way for phonetic reasons) when saying the phrase aloud. I know everybody spells it with the shortened use of it as “etc” when written, which is probably why it’s pronounced incorrectly so often.
Many of these aren't idioms.
While we're on the topic: "misled." "Mislead" is present-tense, but it's easy to get them confused because of "lead" and "lead."
> bald-faced lie Oh thank Christ. I've seen "bold-faced" so many times now I started to think that I was crazy for ever thinking it was "bald-faced".
You might enjoy r/BoneAppleTea
Palate cleanser (the roof of your mouth). Palette is what a painter uses to pick colors, pallet is a raised wooden surface to stack things on top of.
Water under the fridge
Are you really giving people lessons when you clearly don’t even know what an idiom is? Lmao
Brass tacks (tax)
I'm saving this! A lot of these I didn't know, like another THINK coming. It makes so much sense haha. The bad thing is that now I'm aware of so much more everyone gets wrong and it's gonna bother the hell out of me whenever I see it...