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Common sayings people get wrong







Reagulls

Well-known member
Jul 22, 2013
774
a work colleague of mine once described something that was nice to look at as "synthetically pleasing" I didn't have the heart to correct him.
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,417
Location Location
I don't think it's supposed to be a compliment, although I think you're right that it's used like that now. I always took it to mean that someone looked pure, or cute, or cool whatever, but actually were fake.

I always see it used exclusively as a compliment, but I've always thought 'butter wouldn't melt' sounds derogatory.
 






Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,342
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
My wife gets condemn and condone the wrong way round and it drives me insane. As in "I condone that" when she means she's against it. She also sometimes uses the phrase "excuse the pun" and then doesn't make a pun, which also drives me insane. It's a wonder we're still married really :lolol:

I also get irrationally annoyed when people use "less" instead of "fewer".
 


FatSuperman

Well-known member
Feb 25, 2016
2,922
I always see it used exclusively as a compliment, but I've always thought 'butter wouldn't melt' sounds derogatory.

I agree, apart from my uncle, who explained it to me decades ago, I've only ever heard it as a compliment. I'm fairly sure it was not originally intended as such. Although I think the battle is lost on this one (as it is on 'begging the question')
 






Titanic

Super Moderator
Helpful Moderator
Jul 5, 2003
39,923
West Sussex








Gwylan

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
31,827
Uffern
Appropriate for this day, Binyon's For the Fallen is always misquoted. It's "They shall grow not old" not "They shall not grow old"
 


Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
14,262
Cumbria
Not sure if this should be here, or in the Bellcheeses thread, but I was out with my boss recently and we were looking at a landscape which he described as "Twittergenic".
 


Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
14,262
Cumbria
My wife gets condemn and condone the wrong way round and it drives me insane. As in "I condone that" when she means she's against it. She also sometimes uses the phrase "excuse the pun" and then doesn't make a pun, which also drives me insane. It's a wonder we're still married really :lolol:

I also get irrationally annoyed when people use "less" instead of "fewer".

Go to post 2 on this thread, but calm down first https://nortr3nixy.nimpr.uk/showthread.php?344944-Is-it-me-or-are-there-less-poppies-around-this-year
 




The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
26,187
West is BEST
Dunno if it's been mentioned but when people say "off my own back". It is "Off my own bat". It's a pet hate of mine but the world still revolves so ho hum.
 


tinycowboy

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2008
4,004
Canterbury
My mum says:

They're going like wild cakes
I wouldn't let it touch me with a bargepole
You haven't got a hope in China
I wouldn't do it if you paid me tuppence

Good Southwick girl. Kings Manor idiom.
 








Anythink gets on my nerves more than it probably should.

St. Pancreas and London Houston were two I used to hear when I worked at Brighton Station that annoyed me as well.

The odd thing is that Americans pronounce "Houston" Hyooston, while most Brits say Hooston.

The exact opposite of noos and nyoos for "news".
 




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