The English language can be tricky.
11 commonly misused phrases that instantly reveal people's ignorance
Don't screw these up.
Homophones
These malapropisms often have the unfortunate effect of making the speaker seem ignorant.
Read below to see 11 examples of words and phrases that often come out incorrectly.
1. For all intents and purposes
If you say "for all intensive purposes," you mean "for all these very thorough purposes," which doesn't make any sense.
On the other hand, "for all intents and purposes" means "for all the reasons I did this and all the outcomes." It's a much stronger cliche.
2. Nip it in the bud
This phrase should imply you cut a new bud (off a plant), not bit someone in the backside.
3. One and the same — not one in the same
"One in the same" refers to one thing in a group of other things that look the same — meaningless. "One and the same" means that two things are alike.
4. Deep-seated — not deep-seeded
This phrase means something is firmly fixed in place, not that it is planted deeply, as the latter implies.
5. Case in point — not case and point
"Case in point" means, "Here's an example of this point I'm trying to make." The version with "and" makes them two different things, which isn't helpful to your argument at all.
For the record, the plural is "cases in point."
6. Should/could/would have — not should/could/would of
Using "of" here is just wrong. You need to pair a verb with another verb. Otherwise, people will think "of" what?
7. Youve got another think coming — not youve got another thing coming
The phrase was originally, "If that's what you think, you've got another think coming." We just dropped the first clause. Still, this may be a case where the misuse of the phrase now seems to be more popular that the original. Even former President Obama has used "thing" instead of "think."
8. Wreak havoc — not wreck havoc
To "wreck" havoc means to destroy havoc, which is the exact opposite of this phrase's meaning. When you "wreak havoc," you're spreading chaos, anarchy, and destruction everywhere, which is really fun.
9. I couldnt care less — not I could care less
If you "could" care less, you're admitting there are other, less important things in world, which takes away the sting of your comment. By saying you "couldn't" care less, that means nothing else exists on the planet that matters less you. Major burn.
10. Please proceed — not please precede
To proceed means to move forward, while to precede means to come before.
11. Supposedly — not supposably
"Supposably" isn't even a word. It's a slight but important distinction.
Christina Sterbenz contributed to a previous version of this story.
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