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

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".

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

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

Actually, 4 and 10 are really annoying, too!

[germankitty]

"Momento" drives me nuts.

[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...

[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!
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[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.

[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.