# Commonly Misunderstood/Misused Words or Phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 16, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922 "2005-12-16T15:48:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/21 "2005-12-17T01:40:34Z")
Fondle is another word I dislike. It sounds sleazy. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/22 "2005-12-17T01:41:48Z")
Ooops. Wrong thread. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/23 "2005-12-17T01:50:58Z")
I was just reading a post on here where someone used the term “hail and hearty.” What they need to know is that it’s “hale,” which means free from infirmity or illness. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/24 "2005-12-17T02:12:55Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > **Literally** is not an emphatic. You did not “literally hit the roof” unless you climbed up a rope and banged on the roof with your hand. In the spirit of this thread I would like to point out that you would have a hard time hitting the roof by travelling _up_. You hit the _ceiling_ that way. A careless skydiver has a better chance of hitting the roof. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/25 "2005-12-17T02:14:05Z")
Huh. I read “head” for “hand,” and was picturing a suspended rope indoors. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/26 "2005-12-17T03:04:31Z")
I’m not sure if this counts as a misuse, or just a misspelling, but would you please remind them that the past tense of the verb “to lead” is led and that “lead” is a metal? Oh, and since they are, after all, college freshmen, it might serve them well to let them know that the phrase is “party hearty” rather than “hardy”. ---
**Author:** ![soulmurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@soulmurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulmurk)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/27 "2005-12-17T03:38:50Z")
Deja View. The feeling that you’ve viewed this thread before (and recently at that!). This is as good a place as any to ask: when agreeing with someone and wishing to echo their sentiment and/or draw attention to it, what is the correct usage? Hear here Here here Hear hear I’m partial to the first one, but if you think about each one, they’re all sort of applicable. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/28 "2005-12-17T13:41:42Z")
“The people were evacuated before the hurricane hit.” The \*people \* were _evacuated_?! :eek: So did they suck out their guts with a vacuum cleaner? What they should say is, “The _area_ was evacuated before the hurricane hit.” “The data \*was \* analyzed.” No, the data _were_ analyzed. “After we added some weight, the oscillations were heavily _dampened_.” What he should have said was, “After we added some weight, the oscillations were heavily _damped_.” “Before I shot my M14, I loaded the clip with bullets.” No, you loaded it with _cartridges_. And it’s not a clip… it’s a _magazine_. And this one is more of a pet-peeve: “I’m _done_ doing my chores.” No, you’re \*finished \* doing your chores… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/29 "2005-12-17T14:10:49Z")
Recently someone, I’n fairly sure it was **lissener** , pointed out in a thread that _epitome_ does not mean an outstanding example of something but rather a prototype: a standard or typical example. I thought, “What an idiot,” looked it up and discovered that **lissener** was correct. Arrogant though it may be, I was so surprised at being wrong that I have been asking people since what _epitome_ means. Not one person has got it right. Recently I saw a major newspaper headline referring to _The vicious underbelly of …_. I laughed out loud as I understand underbelly to mean “weak or unprotected”. However a Google search found 189 uses in various forms. I don’t know what people think they are saying. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/30 "2005-12-17T14:40:11Z")
I get annoyed when people say “physical year” when they mean “fiscal year”. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/31 "2005-12-17T15:51:58Z")
“Literally” is **becoming** used to mean “figuratively”? Only if you’re talking about its becoming over the course of [the past three centuries](http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/002611.html). A little knowledge is a dangerous thing :). My pet peeve is the common misunderstanding that English is a computer programming language, with no room for wordplay, sleight of tongue, imagery, humor, or sarcasm. English is a wonderful, rich, contradictory, subtle language that recognizes sometimes p^~p is true and derives tremendous value from it. If you see the priests in black gowns making their rounds, it’s time to get out of Dodge. “Unique” can certainly be comparative. Asheville has got a unique restaurant, Spirits on the River, that serves Native American food. It is unique by virtue of being the only Native-America-food restaurant in town. If a new restaurant moves in, Babies on the Rotisserie, then it will be **more unique** by virtue of being the only restaurant in the world that serves rotisserie-style infants. It is bizarre to deny the word this perfectly reasonable distinction and modifier: denying it does not serve the language, does not clarify anything, and does not even cleave to logical reasons (although it certainly is cloven from them). Daniel ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/32 "2005-12-17T16:04:00Z")
From a recent article in [The Times](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1898644,00.html): > [@](#): > > Roger Millington … wrote that the creator of the first accepted ten-letter square would achieve “a lifetime of immortality”. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/33 "2005-12-17T16:47:46Z")
> [@](#): > > “The data was analyzed.” > > No, the data were analyzed. You’re fighting a losing battle on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/34 "2005-12-17T18:49:16Z")
> [@thirdwarning](#): > > Oh, and since they are, after all, college freshmen, it might serve them well to let them know that the phrase is “party hearty” rather than “hardy”. Perhaps they were confused by a gift of a laurel, and hearty handshake? **soulmurk** , [the official Straight Dope position is that it’s “hear hear.”](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mhear.html) ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/35 "2005-12-18T00:28:09Z")
It isn’t different _than_ but different _from_. And you don’t **wreck** havoc, you _wreak_ havoc. But I swear, if you take it to [http://m-w.com/dictionary/wreak](http://m-w.com/dictionary/wreak) you might, as I did, hear “beak” and “beck” sounded out. Try it if you don’t believe me. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/36 "2005-12-18T00:52:29Z")
One is _interred_ at the cemetary, after the funeral. One is _interned_ in a POW camp, by the enemy. You can have _less_ of something like milk or sand; if it is something like cars or paper clips you have _fewer_. A common one in this area is mistaking a _moot point_ as a _mute point_. The speaker erroneously assumes that the point is “mute” in that it doesn’t speak to the discussion, rather than understanding what “moot” means. Please let your students know it is the flood_plain_, not the flood_plane_. ---
**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/37 "2005-12-18T00:55:11Z")
Oh, I left out one of my Most Hated[sup]TM[/sup]: It’s _reckless_ driving, not _wreckless_ driving. Come on, now! ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/38 "2005-12-18T01:24:28Z")
> [@NinetyWt](#): > > One is _interred_ at the cemetary, after the funeral. No, you’re interred at the **cemetery**. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/39 "2005-12-18T01:42:47Z")
I can’t believe that I just read a post where somebody described their hair turning to **ice sickles**. I have to hope the person was having a brain fart, and not that they have never seen the word **icicles**. Ignorance should be fought. If a kind word fails, then sharp sticks are good. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922/40 "2005-12-18T01:48:45Z")
Two of my all-time favorites: 1. Meteoric - Usually used to imply a fast-rising career or something. Hey, guess what, meteors do not rise, they fall. This is, in fact, the very definition of meteor. If it’s in deep space, it is a meteoroid, if it is on the ground, it is a meteorite. Only while falling through the earth’s atmosphere is it a meteor. 2. Decimated - You lose one out of ten, that is, a 10% destruction rate. From a Roman term, where, I think, they killed one out of ten of their enemies. A ten percent rate of destruction is, usually, not bad. However, it is usually used to mean that something was almost completely destroyed. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misunderstood-misused-words-or-phrases/335922.md?page=3)