Common sayings people get wrong

[Green Cross Code Man]

I quoted it with a row of dots, so incorrect it was, thanks The emphasis was on the first bit ffs.

Apologies, I wasn't trying to distract from your point, however the part 'all kinds' is often left out which changes the meaning totally. Didn't notice the dots!

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Oh Gawd. = it's detract from the point!

 

[Seagulls over Essex]

"Off his own back"

 

[Triggaaar]

While I'm not sure its 100% accurate to this thread, the American habit of saying "I could care less" when they mean "I couldn't care less" annoys me more than it should do.

I disagree. I'd say it probably annoys you about the right amount.

 

[Reagulls]

Card shark....

 

[Normski1989]

While I'm not sure its 100% accurate to this thread, the American habit of saying "I could care less" when they mean "I couldn't care less" annoys me more than it should do.

That drives me nuts!

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[KVLT]

Not sayings but words.

It's Scapegoat not Scrapegoat or Escapegoat (as I heard a chap once say)

It's Tenterhooks not Tenderhooks.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Oh Gawd. = it's detract from the point!

Aha! But is it, if my intention was not to belittle his point but to draw attention to another part?

 

[KVLT]

That drives me nuts!

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Agreed. It doesn't make sense.

Like the use of "Can I get?" when ordering something. If you are getting it you ****ing work there!

 

[beorhthelm]

"cheap at half the price". erm, dont be daft, that means its expensive. you mean "cheap at twice the price". the former may be allowed to market stall holder trying to make a sly, comical point, knowing their wares are tat.

also people dont technically get it wrong, but it make no sense what so ever, "have your cake and eat it". its cake. its purpose is to be eaten. why would i want to have it otherwise.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I notice that one the other way round as well.

That one should be 'for the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil'. So interestingly, you have also quoted it incorrectly! [emoji12]

It might depend on what translation you use...........

 

[Ned]

I have a colleague who deals with Pacifics instead of specifics.
May I say the two are oceans apart.

I'll get my coat.

 

[Seagull1989]

The one that really annoys me is " Sets a dangerous president"


By the way have I missed something ? Is it not
dull as dishwater?

 

[KVLT]

The one that really annoys me is " Sets a dangerous president"


By the way have I missed something ? Is it not
dull as dishwater?

Ditch water.

Sets a dangerous president is actually quite apt at the moment though!

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

There's a word for this sort of thing, which my wife and i cane across years ago:

Catachresis (from Greek κατάχρησις, "abuse"), originally meaning a semantic misuse or error—e.g., using "militate" for "mitigate", "chronic" for "severe", "anachronism" for "anomaly", "alibi" for "excuse", etc.—is also the name given to many different types of figure of speech in which a word or phrase is being applied ...

A friend of ours - a teacher - was particularly prone to these, and the worst at one point was when she was talking about a boy at school who had outwitted her in some way and she used the expression "worked a flanker on me". But she used a word that rhymes with flanker but begins with a "W". I guess it would be asterisked if I typed it.

 

[Seagull1989]

Ditch water.

Sets a dangerous president is actually quite apt at the moment though!

Oh I never knew that ! I've been getting it wrong all my life .

 

[Frutos]

The one that really annoys me is " Sets a dangerous president"

I believe the Americans did that yesterday.

 

[timbha]

Fuctifarno

 

[Collingburnian]

As well as catachresis, these mishearings are also known as Mondegreens. I have a book called that, which is full of the sort of examples quoted in this thread. It's called "Mondegreens, A Book Of Mishearings" It's a fun read, if you like that sort of thing - I do

 

[GT49er]

Another weird one is the way some people pronounce 'ask' as 'axe'.

"Why are you axing me - I don't know the answer. Shall I go and axe my mum?" Weird, just weird............................