People who just can't quite use the right word

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Have you ever heard somebody use a word that’s just not quite what they mean to say, but they obviously have no idea it’s wrong? Or maybe they do it habitually because it’s ingrained after a period of time.

  I remember a woman I used to help by tutoring, and sometimes she'd go on about her personal life and feelings.   I clearly remember her saying, "I felt just like a refuge!"   (She meant "refugee.")  
 She also once said, "I am so repressed" when it was obvious from the context of her conversation that she meant to say "oppressed."

And then there was this classic: “I need to get the 911 on that.” (She meant “the 411.”)

So…do you know people who do this sort of thing? Or perhaps you do it?

2

I know someone who says “taunt” when they mean “taut.”

I saw an email from someone saying “Without so much as a bye or leave” when they meant “Without so much as a by your leave.”

I heard of someone who said “For all intensive purposes” when they meant “for all intents and purposes.”

If I ever say something that stupid, I do hope someone slaps some sense into me.

3

Until a few months ago I never heard this…now it seems like I hear it everywhere (including from one of my professors, depressingly). A small thing, but it drives me crazy.

4

People who talk about flaunting the law. It makes me think of the bar room madams of old, flirting outrageously with the sheriff.

5

I wish that by now people would have learned that “phenomena” is plural and “phenomena” is singular. But no.

And saying “incidences” when one means “incidents” is inexcusable.

6

:dubious:

7

I know someone who exclaims “Erotica!” whenever she sees something new or wild, i.e. exotic.
It makes me giggle every time, so I’ve never bothered to correct her.

8

I keep reading it over and over again…

9

My aunt calls envelopes envelops.

And I’m sure I do it too. Hell if I know what words though… my more common problem is using a word in speech that I’ve only encountered in text.

10

Me too. I think we’re in some sort of alternate universe.

My brother says taunt for taut. Drives me nuts. (he also says “Jerry Steinfeld”). :mad:

11

Oh, I have tons of these. The one that’s making my skin crawl this week comes from a woman I work with who uses “in lieu of” to mean “regarding.”

12

My boss consistently uses “realistically” in place of “really”. It drives me absolutely crazy.

13

Me too.
I know of one person who still insists on “…these data…” as being the only correct or unambiguous usage :dubious:

14

I have a friend who insisted she went to the “Grand Canyon Islands” for her honeymoon. Drove me nuts. I kept correcting her, her husband kept correcting her, but she insisted the place was the Grand Canyon Islands. She said “Grand Caymons” made no sense. :rolleyes:

15

My mother is the champion of this, although, for some reason I can’t think of any specific ones right now.

My dad, though, says “wench” for “winch.”

He was a minister who liked to use down-to-earth real life stories in his sermons and this once led to a very interesting anecdote about a deep-sea fishing trip, which repeatedly included the phrase “three men and a wench.”

16

I had a friend in college who would say obliverate instead of obliterate. Like, “I got totally obliverated last weekend.”
Also, if she ever needed you to repeat something you’d said, she’d say, “Do what?” Example: “I’m going to run to the store.” … “Do what?” Used to drive me insane.

17

Did you smack her? Please tell me you smacked her.

18

It doesn’t. :smiley:

19

I had a former boss who would always say, “I would just assume do this or that,” instead of “just as soon.” Every time I heard her say it I would just grit my teeth and try to ignore it.

20

They’re called malaproprisms, and named after the character Mrs Malaprop in Richard Sheridan’s play The Rivals, who made a habit of them: “If I reprehend any thing in this world, it is the use of my oracular tongue and a nice derangement of epitaphs!”