Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Words

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

We all know that person. The one who makes us cringe every time they say a word wrong or mangle it in the process. There are quite a few phrases, but here’s a sampling of ten common terms:



From: 10 Misspoken Phrases

And yes, I admit it. I used to say "irregardless" a lot, until someone came along and threatened to chop my head off if I ever did it again. Fortunately, there are several online dictionaries that include a spoken pronunciation of multisyllabic words if there is ever any doubt.

But how about you? Are there any common phrases or words that drive you nuts? Feel free to share them in the comments!

Comments

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

Irregardless doesn't ping with me as a crime. It's sort of like how "flammable" and "inflammable" both work fine. I know it's a double-negative, but it's usage is too widespread — and it's sort fun and vernacular, which I always appreciate — for it to be flat-out wrong.

This language writer guy agrees with me: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathon-owen/yes-irregardless-is-a-wor_b_4434749.html

[lady-ganesh.livejournal.com]

It's not the double negative bit that bothers me with 'irregardless.' It's that it doesn't sound like a damn word. It's like someone just threw that 'ir' on for no apparent reason.*


*I am well aware this is completely irrational.

[rebcake.livejournal.com]

I saw what you did there!

Apparently, the "ir" in this case is a reference to "irrespective", which is probably the word that people were going for, but missed. Heh.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I don't know if it's because of my experience with "irregardless" or what, but "irrespective" always sounded completely wrong to me. Crazy, I know. But I am learning a lot here, so that's a good thing!

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I hadn't thought of it as a double negative, but now that you've thrown that out there... :)

And thanks for the link!! It helps to know that I wasn't completely wrong about using that word!!

Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Phrases

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

Oh, these are going into my next story where the villain uses ALL those phrases.

Also, "in tack" instead of "intact".

RE: Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Phrases

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Hee!! That sounds like a great story to me! Hopefully you'll survive the backlash from all the grammar nerds out there. :)

"In tack." Okay, now there is absolutely NO excuse whatsoever! lol

Re: Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Phrases

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

Imagine a Stargate backstory where a pompous substitute teacher (mis)uses those phrases in 16-year-old Daniel Jackson's high school English class...

//evil laughter//

RE: Re: Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Phrases

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

Sounds like a good one to me!! :) I think Daniel Early Daniel being somewhat shy and all should make for a great fic!!

Re: Friday Funnies: 10 Misspoken Phrases

[campylobacter.livejournal.com]

Daniel has the endearing qualities of being socially awkward BUT unafraid to speak truth to power. It's an inspiring combination :)

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

The ones that make me absolutely cringe are "nucular" and "liberry." Aaaagh!

Actually, 4 and 10 are really annoying, too!

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

OMGosh, I am with you on those words, especially "liberry." And the funny thing is, I hear that a lot among the people I work with, and I work in a college! Another one that bothers me something fierce is when someone says they "axed" a question. lol I admit it. I go off on people when they say that. :)

[germankitty]

"Momento" drives me nuts.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I can definitely see how that would be cringe-worthy! I admit, though, that I use that word a lot as a way to tell people to wait a minute. I think that "Un momento" is Spanish for "one minute." I could be wrong, as I brought that phrase all the way from my high school Spanish days, so please forgive me if I am.

But you are right when the word is used to describe a memento!

And can I say that I really love your icon! Kittens!!! :)

[germankitty]

I use "momento" in it's proper meaning as well, just like you do -- picked up the habit on holiday in Italy and Spain. :)

I can even see how easy it is in sloppy speech to confuse "memento/momento", but learning several languages at school has taught me to be precise in my pronunciation, so ... yeah. *shrugs*

And kittens are ALWAYS good! Thanks!

[bluewolf458.livejournal.com]

I already told Traycer, but purposefully instead of purposely drives me nuts. And something that has been creeping in a lot recently is something like 'you coat' instead of 'your'...

I shrug philosophically over 'I seen it' (and 'I have went') - I've been hearing those all my life and I suspect they've been around since grammar began.

Of the ones here, lay down (and all its cousins) is my biggest hate. I can understand where confusion can arise, but...

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

All the ones you've pointed out are enough to make me boil over, but the "you coat" one? Seriously, I already go ballistic over the misuse of "your" and "you're", as well as the well-used "yo" instead of "your", I'm not sure I can handle yet another variant. Still, they're used so often that you'd think I'd be used to them by now!

And a little off topic, but not by much... this reminds me of those who like to say, "I be waiting..." or "I be sitting..." Hee! Grammar nerds unite!! :)

[bluewolf458.livejournal.com]

He was sat beside the fire. (I can always find another one...)

Some of them are probably dialect terms that possibly evolved from old/middle English in a different direction from the one we're used to. In Scots, th, y and z could be used interchangeably - there's a stone I saw in an old graveyard years ago marked to 'Ye zounger dochter of... ' It was dated somewhere in the 1400s. In dialect 'ye' or even just 'ee' is still used quite often for 'the'. I suspect 'I could care less' came from a TV comedian.

But what gets me more than bad grammar is misused homophones...

[starwatcher]

.
With 'you coat', I always figure someone (and I just typed somewon -- for real! -- because I listen mentally as I read/type) was typing too fast and just missed the 'r' at the end. Unless it appears more than a couple of times in a fic, but I've never seen it misused consistently. So my beta eyes notice, but my reader brain shrugs and continues with the story.
.

[starwatcher]

.
My nuts-driving word isn't a mis-speak -- it's a perfectly acceptable word -- but 'utilize' is my all-time hate. It means nothing more than 'use', but sounds pompous and inflated. If the character is a government type, who's deliberately using government-speak, it's understandable. But more often, I see it in simple, ordinary sentences like, "Blair utilized the colander to drain the spaghetti." Aargh!

Another that's quickly rising on the list, and may soon become #1, is 'questioned' in place of 'asked'. Again, it's a legitimate word, but in my opinion it should be reserved for suspects, perps, and similar dicey situations. Instead, I see it in very ordinary circumstances and sentences. EG: "How was your day?" he questioned. Double-aargh!
.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I'm with you, the simpler the better!! :)

[wwmrsweasleydo.livejournal.com]

4 drives me round the bend! It means almost the exact opposite of what is trying to be said. If you could care less, then you're neutral, surely? You care a bit, because there are smaller quantities of caring which are available. If you couldn't care less then there is no smaller amount of caring which is possible than the amount you care, in other words you do not care at all.

I hate to be pedantic (well, clearly that's not true or I wouldn't be enjoying this post so much), but isn't it to all intents and purposes not for all intents and purposes? Now I'm saying it both ways to myself and neither sounds right.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

For all intents and purposes sounds right to me because it encompasses the issue at hand as a whole. But then again, Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/for%20all%20intents%20and%20purposes?s=t) says it can be either way, so you are definitely right. :)

As for the care less issue, I get confused easily!! lol I suppose it's best to just go with what you are comfortable with and try to ignore those who use it differently.

[kay-brooke.livejournal.com]

I just saw it again a few minutes ago, which reminded me, but one that gets to me is "emphasize" instead of "empathize." I was seeing it so often that I was starting to wonder if there was an alternate definition of emphasize that I wasn't aware of, but I can't find any evidence of that in any dictionary. So a lot of people I guess really are just misusing it.

[http://users.livejournal.com/traycer_/]

I've always wondered how people can get these things wrong! I've also wondered if those people who say it wrong ever get irritated when they hear it said correctly and thinking they probably should correct that person...

Oh how I would love for that to happen to me!! The golden opportunity to really give them an earful! :)