GRAMMAR NAZI: 30 Commonly misused phrases

GRAMMAR NAZI: 30 Commonly misused phrases

I am guilty of making grammar goofs often, even though I have a degree in Journalism and make much of my living writing these days.

Still in the social media world, I  am constantly bumping into people in the comment section of blog posts, on Twitter and on friends’ Facebook statuses making all sorts of verbal faux pas by misusing common phrases. I cringe many times. It appears many people have heard certain phrases and words said in real world social context but never really learned how they are spelled. Here are a few offenders:

incorrect usage

1. YOU GOT ANOTHER THING COMING  – this phrase is now common and absorbed into modern language, but initially the real term was

YOU GOT ANOTHER THINK COMING

incorrect usage

2. FOR ALL INTENSIVE PURPOSES – just plain wrong, it is

FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES

incorrect usage

3. MINES – the possessive for of “that belongs to me” is it is

MINE

4. SEWING WILD OATS – nope, oats are something that a farmer cultivates not a seamstress so the term is

SOWING WILD OATS

incorrect usage

5. TOW THE LINE – Actually the term is a description of using one’s toe to draw a line across the sand and thus the correct term is

TOE THE LINE

incorrect usage

6. COULD CARE LESS – Yes you could but you don’t so the right phrase is I

COULDN’T CARE LESS

incorrect usage

7. IRREGARDLESS –  While this is actually a real word that has been in the English language for over a century, it’s not a favored term rather, you should use

IRRESPECTIVE or REGARDLESS

OTHER RANDOM TERMS AND WORDS

INCORRECT -CORRECT

8. LEADWAY   – LEEWAY

9. AKS  -ASK

10.  ONE IN THE SAME – ONE AND THE SAME

11. LABTOP – LAPTOP

12. LOW AND BEHOLD – LO AND BEHOLD

13. NUKE AND CRANNIE – NOOK AND CRANNY

14. SUPPOSABLY – SUPPOSEDLY

15. TONGUE AND CHEEK  – TONGUE IN CHEEK

16. FLUSH OUT THE DETAILS – FLESH OUT THE DETAILS

17. NIP IT IN THE BUTT – NIP IT IN THE BUD

18. YOU NEVER SEEM TO AMAZE ME – YOU NEVER CEASE TO AMAZE ME

19. TAKE IT FOR GRANITE – TAKE IT FOR GRANTED

20. COULD OF – COULD‘VE (PREPOSITION OF COULD HAVE)

21. WET YOUR APPETITE – WHET YOUR APPETITE

22. HUNGER PAINS – HUNGER PANGS

23. THAT’S A MUTE POINT – THAT’S A MOOT POINT

24. POUR OVER THE DOCUMENTS – PORE OVER THE DOCUMENTS

25. YOU’VE PEAKED MY INTEREST – PIQUED MY INTEREST

26. CASE AND POINT – CASE IN POINT

27. BECKON CALL – BECK AND CALL

28. IT’S A DOGGY-DOG WORLD – IT’S A DOG EAT DOG WORLD

29. IT DOESN’T JIVE WELL – IT DOESN’T JIBE WELL

30. SUPPOSE TO – SUPPOSED TO

WHAT ELSE!? ADD YOURS?

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Jay Jay Ghatt is also editor at Techyaya.com, founder of the JayJayGhatt.com and JayJayGhatt.com where she teaches online creators how to navigate digital entrepreneurship and offers Do-It-For-You Blogging Service. She manages her lifestyle sites BellyitchBlog, Jenebaspeaks and JJBraids.com and is the founder of BlackWomenTech.com 200 Black Women in Tech On Twitter. Her biz podcast 10 Minute Podcast is available on iTunes and Player.fm. Follow her on Twitter at @Jenebaspeaks. Buy her templates over at her legal and business templates on Etsy shop!

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