# Commonly mangled phrases or words **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867 "2005-12-09T13:42:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/41 "2005-12-10T01:48:47Z")
Notate As in “Can you notate that?” ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/42 "2005-12-10T02:15:25Z")
‘All **OF A** sudden’, people, not ‘all _the_ sudden’ (that doesn’t even make any freaking sense!). And ‘I could care less’ is absolutely, positively, flat out wrong. It’s not an accepted idiom – the proper phrase is ‘I could NOT care less’. Just because you hear it said incorrectly so often does not make it acceptable or proper. It’s simply wrong, when used to express a lack of caring, seeing as how by definition it allows for some degree of actually caring. ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/43 "2005-12-10T02:22:10Z")
“Pacifically” for specifically. It drives me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/44 "2005-12-10T04:27:51Z")
Burnished does not mean it looks as if it has been burnt. It mean smooth or glossy, polished. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/45 "2005-12-10T04:30:34Z")
> [@Shayna](#): > > And ‘I could care less’ is absolutely, positively, flat out wrong. It’s not an accepted idiom – the proper phrase is ‘I could NOT care less’. Just because you hear it said incorrectly so often does not make it acceptable or proper. It’s simply wrong, when used to express a lack of caring, seeing as how by definition it allows for some degree of actually caring. Dude, have you read the thread? ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/46 "2005-12-10T04:41:09Z")
‘Shoes and socks’ as in “put your shoes and socks on”. Or maybe i’m the only one who says it like that. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/47 "2005-12-10T05:34:25Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > If I posted any, I’d wreck havoc on this thread. Instead I’ll just run butt-naked through the snow. This made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/48 "2005-12-10T06:05:10Z")
> [@lee](#): > > it’s (when used as a posessive.} That one’s forgivable, because apostrophes are usually used in posessives. To the people who don’t like ‘aks’: read Chaucer and you’ll see something interesting. Aks isn’t a recent bastardization at all. ---
**Author:** ![Loopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loopus/32/15343_2.png) [@Loopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/49 "2005-12-10T08:16:23Z")
What really bugs me is when people pronounce “etc.” as “eckcetra.” It’s _e **t** cetera_. Why that bugs me so much, I may never know. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/50 "2005-12-10T08:28:21Z")
> [@Loopus](#): > > What really bugs me is when people pronounce “etc.” as “eckcetra.” It’s _e **t** cetera_. > > Why that bugs me so much, I may never know. What’s worse is when they write it as “ect.” I hate “excape.” Every time I hear k.d. lang say “excape” in “Constant Craving” I cringe. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/51 "2005-12-10T08:40:19Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Have you ever heard someone say “Wed-nes-day?” Not other than me, but I say it fast. It’s barely noticable, but it makes me feel better. It’s my understanding that authors from ages (like Chaucer) past spelled words phonetically, or else just spelled them as they saw fit (with little regard to continuity) because there was less of an emphasis on grammatical standardization. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/52 "2005-12-10T08:43:04Z")
> [@soulmurk](#): > > Not other than me, but I say it fast. It’s barely noticable, but it makes me feel better. I’m such a prick about pronunciation that I may end up doing the same thing. > [@](#): > > It’s my understanding that authors from ages (like Chaucer) past spelled words phonetically, or else just spelled them as they saw fit (with little regard to continuity) because there was less of an emphasis on grammatical standardization. Yeah, I’m sure that’s right. Standardized spelling didn’t exist until more recently. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/53 "2005-12-10T15:29:17Z")
> [@Plynck](#): > > Right. It should be supposably. (Or is it disposably?) > [@lissener](#): > > No, actually, it’s “supposedly.” Oh, **lissener,** please… I would have thought that my giving _two_ bizarre alternatives would have made my sarcasm clear, but I will have to use the smilies from now on. :rolleyes: How about the use of “exasperate” when “exacerbate” is intended? I think that it is the close rhyme with the correct word that disturbs people. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/54 "2005-12-10T17:02:33Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > In French, the words for “long chair” are “chaise longue.” > > Even though it’s now standard, proper usage in American English, it still grates on me to hear it called a “chaze lownj.” Even worse… more & more I see stores advertising their amazing sale price for a “chaise lounge.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/55 "2005-12-10T17:52:53Z")
I have a freind who mangles phrases on purpose. He swears that I’m the only one who notices, but I suspect most people are being polite. Two that I notice regularly are: Six of one a dime a dozen. We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/56 "2005-12-10T18:00:33Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I have a freind who mangles phrases on purpose. He swears that I’m the only one who notices, but I suspect most people are being polite. > > Two that I notice regularly are: > > Six of one a dime a dozen. > We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. I like to mangle that first one by saying, “Half of one and six dozen of the other”. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/57 "2005-12-10T19:15:19Z")
> [@lee](#): > > As in “Can you notate that?” As a composer, I notate things all the time. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/58 "2005-12-10T19:21:53Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I have a freind who mangles phrases on purpose. He swears that I’m the only one who notices, but I suspect most people are being polite. > > We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. I’m totally stealing that one! Thank your friend for me 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/59 "2005-12-10T20:01:26Z")
The confusion between “discreet” and “discrete” drives me batty. My anatomy professor used “orientated” last week and I flinched. I’ve given up on expecting people to stop using “hopefully” when they mean “I hope.” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867/60 "2005-12-10T20:04:04Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Have you ever heard someone say “Wed-nes-day?” I say “Wed’n’sday,” as I’ve heard some Brits say it. It’s named after Wodin, and I feel it’s dissing old Wodin to say “Wenzday.” I also say all four syllables in “vegetable.” It helps me remember how to spell it. On the other hand, I intentionally mangle some things, such as "Radio Snack, McRonalds, Tarzhay, refrigi-gator, and calcubator. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-mangled-phrases-or-words/334867.md?page=4)