See this A LOT....even here:

"I could care less..."

Nah. The proper phrase to make your point is, "I couldn't care less...", indicating you have no more caring to give.

Tack vs tact.
Take the right "TACK".
&
Row vs Road
Tough "ROW" to hoe.

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Prerogative vs. Prerogative

quote:

Originally posted by Kskelton:
Supposedly vs supposebly

I think I first noticed the non-word used by Joey, on Friends. From his pronunciation, I thought it was spelled supposably.

Figuratively and literally.

Also the misuse of the word "OF" instead of the correct contraction "'VE"

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
Prerogative vs. Prerogative

quote:

Originally posted by Kskelton:
Supposedly vs supposebly

I think I first noticed the non-word used by Joey, on Friends. From his pronunciation, I thought it was spelled supposably.

Ha! Yeah, I just caught that. It auto-corrected it for me. Was supposed to be perogative.

Weather v. Whether

quote:

Originally posted by Phelen_Kell:
Also the misuse of the word "OF" instead of the correct contraction "'VE"

This one makes me madder than anything should ever make me. I don't know why, but it seems so irreparably stupid to me.

People even use it without contracting it. It is "should have" not "should of."

I was guilty of this for many years...

"For all intensive purposes..."

When it's really

"For all intents and purposes..."

I'm 43 and I still can't figure out its, it's and its'...

I simply gave up on trying to remember which is witch [see what I did there...?]

Another one that took me months to figure out in basic training was what a "vice ribbons" was. As in: "The differences between the dress blue alpha and dress blue bravo uniforms are medals, vice ribbons and badges."

I finally asked a DI what a vice ribbon was and I paid dearly for it.

Tony.

eminent / imminent

Eminent describes anyone who's famous / important.

Imminent refers to something about to happen.


==============================================

Prostrate and prostate.

No, he wasn't "laying prostate on the floor." (I hope)

quote:

Originally posted by rusbro:
Prostrate and prostate.

No, he wasn't "laying prostate on the floor." (I hope)

"I was prostate with grief." -Tony Soprano

When you want to retract something you said or did, you don't back-peddle.

Then vs. than

quote:

Originally posted by benny6:

I'm 43 and I still can't figure out its, it's and its'...

It's: contraction of "it is."
Its: possessive, e.g., "a cat has claws on the end of its paws." Since the apostrophe usually indicates possessive (e.g., "benny6's guns), this might be where the confusion comes from.
I don't believe "its'" is used at all.

 
Archers, loose your arrows.
 

Ensure vs insure

Carrot or stick.

The original phrase was carrot on a stick i.e. an incentive.

carrot or stick has become it's own distinct idiom just like literally has become an informal adverb describing the opposite of what the original definition was.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
"Begs the question" does not mean "suggests the question."

It means that a statement assumes the thing to be shown to be true. "Chocolate is healthful because it's good for you."

God - this one drives me nuts. It's almost universally misused!

Counsel vs. Council.

I also get tired of hearing about "a long road to hoe." It's a long row to hoe. (Why on earth anyone would want to hoe a road...)

I really wish someone would tell EVERYBODY in politics and reporting that "decimate" does not mean to completely destroy or obliterate something. It only means to destroy ten (10%) per cent of it. One tenth. Hence, "deci" mate. Aaaaaggghhh!