Thinking about expressions that are mis-uttered by about half of the people who say them. Not sure if either is “right” anymore, since both versions are so common. Any others that are like this? (not sayings which are universally abused, but ones that there’s even numbers who think it is one way or the other.)
Coming down the pipe vs. pike
Nip it in the bud vs. butt
Jerry vs. jury rigged
“All intents and purposes” versus “all intensive purposes”
“Toe the line” versus “tow the line”
Could you guys identify which versions you consider correct and incorrect?
The way mikep777 wrote his versions, it would appear that he champions “nip it in the butt” as the original/correct expression. I very much doubt that that is true.
For the “mis-uttered expression” that I would think has the most currency, right now, I submit
I could care less. which started out as a sarcastic inversion of I couldn’t care less. but has now become the more frequently heard version, even when the sarcastic tone of voice is omitted.
Andy Warhol’s “In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.”
I have heard that misquoted more times . . .
…although your response says something about which versions you think are correct. I thought the original versions were jerry rigged, nip it in the bud, and coming down the pike.
GQ vs. IMHO as the place for polling. Not sure which is right anymore. Although I do see a GQ if you meant, “Which of these is the correct (older, traditional, more sensible) version?”
My example would be,
“You’ve got another thing coming” vs. “You’ve got another think coming”
I always heard it as “another think”, but of course that only works when used with "If you think you’re going to paint yourself green and purple with housepaint … " as my mother did. “another thing” sounds vague and carries less force with me.
panama jack
If you think I’ll sit around as the world goes by
You’re thinkin’ like a fool cause it’s a case of do or die - Judas Priest
Shoe-in, instead of shoo-in
John Henry, instead of John Hancock
Some of 'em I say on purpose: He has a mind like a trap door, or We’ll jump off that bridge when we come to it.
For the originals I would give
pike
bud
jury-rig
(Jury-rig may be confused with jerry-built where, I believe, the word was originally jerry, but I’m not sure of that.)
Jerry-can is different,coming from Brit slang in the North African desert when raiders would avail themselves of Rommel’s fuel whenever possible, using the German’s own fuel cans.
“chomping at the bit” instead of “champing at the bit”
generally not mis-uttered (since they’re homonyms) but I’ve seen these mistyped:
“do to” instead of “due to”
“said my peace” instead of “said my piece”
AAARGH - “Nip it in the butt” drives me crazy. I cringe whenever I hear it. I’ve lately taken to saying “Oh, really? Can I watch?”
case and point…case in point
just assume…just as soon
the proof is in the pudding…the proof of the pudding is in the eating
I frequently hear the first variant of these; the second is correct.
While not an expression, another pet peeve is “supposably” for supposedly.
And can I have a ruling on “to all intents and purposes” vs. “for all intents and purposes”?. I’ve always said the former, but I’ve found conflicting opinions.
http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/intensive.html (“for all…”)
http://www.alt-usage-english.org/excerpts/fxtoalli.html (“to all…”)
Maybe it’s a US/UK thing?
And when I was a kid, I was guilty of “doggy dog world”…no wonder, although I got the meaning, I never understood how the phrase applied to that meaning.
Shaky Jake
Money is the root of all evil vs. The love of money is the root of all evil.
Alas, poor Yorick, I knew him well vs. Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio.
In both cases, the latter are the original lines.
Since Miss Bunny brought up Mr. Shakespeare—
So many people quote “Wherefore art thou Romeo?” as though it means “Where are you, Romeo?” when it actually means “WHY are you Romeo?”
How about those who type “here, here” instead of “hear, hear”? That bugs me.
And Shaky Jake, I have a friend who says “supposively” instead of “supposedly.” She also says “pacific” for “specific” and “margarine” for “margin.” And this is coming from someone who wants to get a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh! Of course, that’s right after she “supposively” gets a B.A. in a triple? (no such freakin’ thing!) major at some podunk college here in NC. But this has gone too far from the OP and is rapidly devolving into Pit-worthy material, so 'nuff said.
Rock-n-Rolga
OOOHHH, pacific, I completely forgot about that one. I was talking with some “supposably” ( 
) high-powered bank exec who kept saying that. She asked me “Could you be more pacific?”, and I answered “If I was any more pacific, I’d lose control of my bowels” - Woooooooosh
“here in NC” - are you triangle area?
Shaky Jake
guy wire vs guide wire
“to hold down the fort” for “to hold the fort” (prob. influenced by “to hold down a job”)
“upcoming” for “up-and-coming” (“upcoming” is properly used for the inevitable temporal approach of something, as in “the upcoming Labor Day holiday,” not in the sense of “an up-and-coming employee,” i.e., a go-getter, a rising star, one showing potential)
“taking the bit in one’s mouth” for “taking the bit between one’s teeth” (a horse always has the bit in his mouth, of course, but when he clamps it between his teeth away from the sensitive ends of the lips he’s much harder to control)
Ooh! ooh! Me next!
Nucular just makes me cringe.
I had a friend once who would get cliches mixed up, accidentally. She once said in all serousness: “Patience comes to those who wait.” And my very favorite: “We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.”
awaiting some more of these with baited breath …
(instead of “bated”. That one always conjurs up interesting imagery)
In the new-but-not-necessarily-improved words category, “flustrated” and “volumptuous” are a couple of favorites of mine.
Oh, and my boss always mispronounces “potpourri”, which shouldn’t be a big deal but he uses the word all the time. Maybe I should point out that the “t” is silent, as in harlot, right Eve?
Well, it’s not really an expression, but…
Lounge Chair or Lawn Chair?