# Commonly misused words/phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928 "2000-04-10T02:34:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/1 "2000-04-10T02:34:00Z")
There are certain words and expressions that seem more likely to be used incorrectly than correctly. Can you add to these? 1. disinterested - it means neutral or objective and NOT uninterested 2. irregardless - doesn’t exist 3. infer - often used when _imply_ is meant 4. reticent - this means quiet NOT reluctant 5. _per se_ (pronounced per say) - this phrase means “by itself”. Often it’s used incorrectly as a synonymous phrase for “so to speak” or “for example”. Irregardless of what my list infers, per se, I am disinterested in hearing your comments and am reticent to discuss the topic further. * * * Not only does God play dice, he cheats! ---
**Author:** ![NickyLarson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b2d939/32.png) [@NickyLarson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NickyLarson)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/2 "2000-04-10T02:54:00Z")
1. Noisome - means offensive or disgusting, especially in smell, not loud and cacophonous. * * * You’d think that Superman would be a good person to invite to a barbecue but trust me, he’s not. I mean, sure he can cook the hot dogs fast with his heat vision, but they all taste of charred eye boogers. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/3 "2000-04-10T03:43:00Z")
## A phrase that’s always used incorrectly is “Possession is nine-tenths of the law”. Taken literally, this means “Nine-tenths of the laws are in regards to property and criminal actions involving property”. That would make sense. But everytime I’ve ever heard or read the phrase, it’s used in the sense of “Since I’m the one in actual possession of the disputed property, it’s almost assuredly mine”. You say I’m blind, I say you’re hallucinating. ---
**Author:** ![OrganicMatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/898d66/32.png) [@OrganicMatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OrganicMatter)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/4 "2000-04-10T03:58:00Z")
A very common example is when people say, “I could care less” when they mean “I couldn’t care less.” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/5 "2000-04-10T04:09:00Z")
_Hoi polloi_ is often misused. It is a derogatory expression meaning the “common people” or “uncultured masses.” Many people seem to think that it means the snooty upper-crust people. Perhaps they have _hoi polloi_ confused with _hoity-toity_. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/6 "2000-04-10T04:12:00Z")
Oh, and by the way, I had to laugh when I saw #1 on your list, Karl. Just an hour ago, my husband said that he was “disinterested” in something when he meant “uninterested,” and I explained the difference. ---
**Author:** ![Kallessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7993a0/32.png) [@Kallessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kallessa)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/7 "2000-04-10T04:24:00Z")
I get annoyed when people use “quote–unquote” for two reasons. One, they’re usually not quoting, but paraphrasing, and by saying “unquote” implying that it was not a quote, after they just said it was. Proper useage would be “quote–end quote”, always provided that what is said between the two is a quote. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/8 "2000-04-10T04:33:00Z")
People who say “nauseous” when they mean “nauseated” are themselves nauseous. ---
**Author:** ![SingleDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@SingleDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleDad)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/9 "2000-04-10T04:45:00Z")
## fulsome: insincere enormity: tremendous evil Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/10 "2000-04-10T04:58:00Z")
OrganicMatter nailed my linguistic pet peeve. “I could care less” completely reverses the meaning intended. Another: “I’m nauseous”. (And some are.) But there’s a difference from being nauseated, from something nauseating. Ok, picky, picky. This is why English drives people nuts. (I’m still deeply suspicious that Coldfire uses the language, formal and trash, so much better most native speakers. Whassup w/ that superagent investigation thingy?) Hmmm. Carry on. Veb ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/11 "2000-04-10T05:39:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by OrganicMatter: > **A very common example is when people say, “I could care less” when they mean "I couldn’t care less."** That one’s tops on my list. My sister says that constantly, and will not accept my explanation. I think I’ll send her a link to this page (not that it’ll do any good). 😉 Karen: I could care less! Steve-o: So you do care? Karen: No, I just said I didn’t. Steve-o: You said quote you could care less unquote 😃 . For you to be able to care less, you must care some now… Right? Karen: No, it’s just an expression. It means that I don’t care. Steve-o: No if you…. Karen: Shut up! And so it goes… just like that… every time. * * * Things are random only insofar as we don’t understand them. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/12 "2000-04-10T05:57:00Z")
While writing a post in another thread, I was reminded of another one when I wrote the word “between”. People often interchange “between” and “among”. Something is between two other things. Something is among three or more things. ## O.K. now… “writing” **this** post reminded me of another (that I’m guilty of). I didn’t actually write this post… I typed it. Things are random only insofar as we don’t understand them. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/13 "2000-04-10T06:08:00Z")
From what I’ve seen, one of the most frequent offenders in this category (I’ve even seen it in professional writing) is “reason is … because.” For example : “The reason I’m going to the store is because I want to pick up the latest issue of Felchers Quarterly.” “Reason is” and “because” mean the same thing. Using both is redundant. ---
**Author:** ![Timothy\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Timothy\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timothy_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/14 "2000-04-10T08:46:00Z")
Many people (most especially Americans, but to some extent we Canadians) confuse the words “comprise” and “compose”. For example, you’ll hear a news broadcaster say, “Their organization is comprised of 2500 volunteers”. The “of” is incorrect. He should either say “Their organization is composed of 2500 volunteers” (which is gramatical, even if it sounds a bit demeaning), or “Their organization comprises 2500 volunteers”. Moving on to another matter… I’ve always had a problem with “quote-unquote”, but not for the reason noted in a previous post. What bothers me is that it is like me doing ""this. Personally, when I use that expression, I will say something like: “It’s what they call a quote healthy unquote activity.” (And before you ask, no, I don’t make those “air quotes” with my fingers!) Most people would say: “It’s what they call a healthy (quote-unquote) activity.” This strikes me as mental laziness. In some sentences, it isn’t even clear which words are being, um, “quotified”. (Yes, I know there’s no such word – yet.) I will admit, however, that the words being quotified are usually indicated as such by a slight change in inflection. * * * Are you educated, erudite and maybe a bit eccentric? Please help us test a [new web game](http://www.pyroto.com)! ---
**Author:** ![Gilligan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Gilligan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gilligan)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/15 "2000-04-10T12:32:00Z")
“Could of” and “should of” instead of “could have” and “should have.” “Supposably” for “supposedly.” ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/16 "2000-04-10T12:44:00Z")
10 items or less: Should be 10 items or fewer. If I didn’t forget my wallet at home, which means I don’t have money, which means I can’t buy coffee, I could tell you why. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/17 "2000-04-10T12:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by TVeblen: > **(I’m still deeply suspicious that Coldfire uses the language, formal and trash, so much better most native speakers. Whassup w/ that superagent investigation thingy?)** Look out the window Vebbie. See the non-suspicious looking white van? That’s right. Hello honey. You’re looking mighty spicy today! ---
**Author:** ![TomH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90db22/32.png) [@TomH](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TomH)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/18 "2000-04-10T12:51:00Z")
Two examples from this morning’s paper: _Alibi_ used to mean _excuse_ or _justification_; _Methodology_ for _method_. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/19 "2000-04-10T13:47:00Z")
I’ve noticed quite a few people incorrectly use _ambivalent_ when what they actually mean is _indifferent_. Not that many people ever use the word _wherefore_; but Juliet was **not** asking where Romeo was hiding ("…wherefore art thou, Romeo?"). I once saw a TV commercial that advertised a teddy bear that was “totally inflammable.” Of course, what they meant to say was _non-flammable_. Unless of course they truly meant their bears tended to burst into flames. ---
**Author:** ![Yue\_Han](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/eada6e/32.png) [@Yue\_Han](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yue_Han)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/20 "2000-04-10T14:52:00Z")
The literary terms: Alitteration and Allusion Had an arrogant and self-righteous teacher once flip around alliteration and allusion. In the middle of giving us a lecture about how we were all too stupid to understand his use of literary devices while he made fun of us. And I called him on it. Not smart, on my side –John * * * **Martin.** It’s what’s for dinner. _Brought to you by **IATeALeC** _\* \ ***I** ndiana **A** cademy **Te** en **A** ssociation for the **Le** galization of **C** annibalism. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928.md?page=2)