# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/61 "2000-04-12T02:09:00Z")
Supervisors love to use the reflexive pronoun “myself” to help their blather sound more intelligent: > [@](#): > > If there are any questions, please speak with myself or my assistant. I’m supposed to speak with **yourself?** :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [April 12, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/62 "2000-04-12T03:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Johnny L.A.: > > * * * > > ## “Could of” and “should of” instead of “could have” and “should have.” > > Perhaps they’re actually saying could’ve and should’ve? Of course they could be _saying_ “could’ve” or “should’ve.” But when people _write_"could of" or “should of” it’s clear that they’re not using the contraction as they should be. And as uncommon as you might think doing that is, now that it’s been brought to your attention, you’ll start seeing it all over the place. And it’s annoying “as hell.” 😃 And while I’m at it, **there are** two more that drive me batty; “all **the** sudden” (it’s “all **of a** sudden”) and using “there’s” when it should be “there are.” [Here’s](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Archives/Archive-000008/HTML/20000401-7-000669.html) an example. > [@](#): > > I’m sure He’s aware that there’s people dying. That sentence should’ve read, “I’m sure He’s aware that **there are** people dying.” (I’m not picking on Gaudere. It’s a frequent mistake made by many people all over these MBs [and everywhere else]. But I just read that post, so it was fresh in my mind to use as an example.) * * * “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank “Mom, he’s a neo Nazi! He’s a doctor also? Well…” - WallyM7 ---
**Author:** ![rubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/63 "2000-04-12T13:31:00Z")
Great thread: “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too!” Actually you can. The phrase should be, “You can’t eat your cake and have it, too” I also am dismayed when people call hyphens dashes. - is a hyphen, – is a dash. * * * Nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse. ---
**Author:** ![SingleDad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9e8a1a/32.png) [@SingleDad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SingleDad)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/64 "2000-04-13T05:01:00Z")
IIRC, James Kilpatrick has exonerated “hopefully” in his Court of Peeves, Irks & Crotchets. Hopefully, my recollection is correct. 😉 In typography, a “-” is also called an “e **n** dash”, – is called an “e **m** dash”. A hyphen is “a punctuation mark - used especially to divide or to compound words, word elements, or numbers.” A dash is “a punctuation mark – that is used especially to indicate a break in the thought or structure of a sentence.” [WWWebster Dictionary](http://www.m-w.com/dictionary.htm) * * * Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. ---
**Author:** ![h\_thur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@h\_thur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h_thur)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/65 "2000-04-13T05:34:00Z")
Things that make me cringe: confusing quiet, quite, and quit confusing breath and breathe AP style (though that is another thread altogether) ---
**Author:** ![ignatiusjreilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/2acd7d/32.png) [@ignatiusjreilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ignatiusjreilly)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/66 "2000-04-12T18:02:00Z")
OK, now you got me. I just want to agree with all of the bitching about “your” and “you’re” and “their” and “they’re”. I also hate to hear people use “good” (an adjective) in the place of “well” (an adverb). And another one - the use of “real” as an adverb to modify an adjective or another adverb, as in “It’s real cold outside today”. Or, “He runs real fast”. There is an adverb for those circumstances and it is called “really”! In general, I guess I get annoyed at the misuse of adverbs and adjectives. And my tip to anyone who wants to improve their English grammar (or whatever their native tongue may be)? Study a foreign language. When I started taking Russian in high school my grades in English got much better really quickly because I finally understood the basic theories and rules of grammar that are constant among languages. ---
**Author:** ![cygnus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e0b2c6/32.png) [@cygnus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cygnus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/67 "2000-04-12T18:14:00Z")
How can no one have mentioned our friend the apostrophe, in general usage? Every day I drive past a sign advertising “condo’s”, to name one of a thousand. Amazingly, I often even see it right and wrong on the same sign: “Bob’s condos - free microwave’s included.” I can only think that the sign maker stared at the blank space with furrowed brow, thinking hard about how it is supposed to go, and finally concluded that if he went both ways, he had to be right once. How can this be difficult? Possessive or contraction = apostrophe (except for that renegade posessive “its”). Plural = no apostrophe. P.S. Kilpatrick’s book “The Writer’s Art” (yes, I know, that should be underline, not quote, but I don’t have that trick down yet) would be greatly enjoyed by anyone interested in this thread. Sharp, witty, engaging thoughts and discussion on a myriad of points regarding writing, usage and language - not a hint of dryness, no matter what you might think. Just try it. * * * MST3K: Best lil’ puppet show on the planet. ---
**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:** [April 12, 2000, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/68 "2000-04-12T18:22:00Z")
> [@](#): > > “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too!” > Actually you can. The phrase should be, > “You can’t eat your cake and have it, too” Rubes, you are the only person I’ve ever encountered who knows that. People tend to think _I’m_ the one getting it backwards when I use that phrase correctly. In fact, I was going to add that to my list in my first reply here, but thought better of it because I figured someone would call me on it and I couldn’t remember the source, nor could I find any reference to it when searching for the etymology on-line. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in understanding that phrase! * * * “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank “Mom, he’s a neo Nazi! He’s a doctor also? Well…” - WallyM7 ---
**Author:** ![ATTGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@ATTGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ATTGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/69 "2000-04-12T19:04:00Z")
One of my favorites is “I had to get up at 5 AM in the morning.” What a redundant redundancy. ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sweet\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Basil)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/70 "2000-04-12T19:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by johnnyharvard: > \*\* > I also hate to hear people use “good” (an adjective) in the place of “well” (an adverb). > > And another one - the use of “real” as an adverb to modify an adjective or another adverb, as in “It’s real cold outside today”. Or, “He runs real fast”. There is an adverb for those circumstances and it is called “really”! > \*\* So if I say “I can talk REAL GOOD!” I guess I’m covering all the bases! Sweet Basil * * * [SRB](http://www.selfrighteousbrothers.com) will get you girls!! ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sweet\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Basil)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/71 "2000-04-12T19:46:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by johnnyharvard: > \*\* > I also hate to hear people use “good” (an adjective) in the place of “well” (an adverb). > > And another one - the use of “real” as an adverb to modify an adjective or another adverb, as in “It’s real cold outside today”. Or, “He runs real fast”. There is an adverb for those circumstances and it is called “really”! > \*\* So if I say “I can talk REAL GOOD!” I guess I’m covering all the bases! Sweet Basil * * * [SRB](http://www.selfrighteousbrothers.com) will get you girls!! ---
**Author:** ![Sweet\_Basil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Sweet\_Basil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweet_Basil)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/72 "2000-04-12T19:50:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by johnnyharvard: > \*\* > I also hate to hear people use “good” (an adjective) in the place of “well” (an adverb). > > And another one - the use of “real” as an adverb to modify an adjective or another adverb, as in “It’s real cold outside today”. Or, “He runs real fast”. There is an adverb for those circumstances and it is called “really”! > \*\* So if I say “I can talk REAL GOOD!” I guess I’m covering all the bases! Sweet Basil * * * [SRB](http://www.selfrighteousbrothers.com) will get you girls!! ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/73 "2000-04-12T19:55:00Z")
By the way, **Cygnus** , you’re right about the apostrophes. The only thing I’d point out is that “its” isn’t the only possessive without an apostrophe. I used to know some good example but now I can only think of bad ones. “His” doesn’t have an apostrophe, but then, “he” is the non-possessive form, so that’s a bad example. How about “hers” and “ours”? They kind of work, but they are bad examples since the are only used (don’t know the real grammar term here) after then noun, not before. _Our_ car is _ours_, _her_ car is _hers_, Bill’s car is Bill’s. Anyway, I was taught to just remember that pronouns don’t take apostrophes, possessive or not. I blame the use of apostrophes in pluralizations on their use with dates. “1970” could and is pluralized to “1970s” to make a decade, but some people seem to like it better as “1970’s”. This is okay, I guess, since 1970 is a numeric thang rather than a word, but I still don’t know what purpose the apostrophe serves, other than to confuse fragile-minded youth into overusing apostrophes. Sometimes they’re also used with acronyms (IRA’s, CD’s, etc.) but I think they’re unnecessary there too. ---
**Author:** ![sulla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@sulla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sulla)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/74 "2000-04-12T19:59:00Z")
Another wonderful book on the topic is William Zinsser’s “On Writing Well” (sorry for not having this UBB underlining stuff down.) Required reading in journalism class and very entertaining stuff. He was on Webster’s usage committee for a time. What I hate the most (besides apostrophe’s in plural’s - AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!)are redundancies such as the following: ATM machine = automated teller machine machine PIN number = personal identification number number ETA time = estimated time of arrival time Don’t these people know what the abbreviations MEAN? -sulla ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/75 "2000-04-12T20:42:00Z")
[hijack] **cygnus & sulla** , FYI, AFAIK, UBB doesn’t have an underline feature. Before HTML was disabled, you could underline thusly, \Title\. Of course, some hacker spoiled it all. _sigh_ If it makes you feel a little better, you could use italic font: [i]Title[/ i] Just remove the spaces: _Title_. Click the icon with the red arrow (reply-with-quote) to see exactly how I did it. Tinker [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/76 "2000-04-12T20:52:00Z")
One phrase I hate is the over-used “in-depth,” especially when it is not used close to the thing it is describing, as in “That documentary on wombats was really in-depth.” I’m not sure when this thing started becoming a word, but it’s like fingernails on a blackboard to me. Another one is “begs the question.” Hardly anyone uses this correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/77 "2000-04-12T21:00:00Z")
Okay cher3, what does “begs the question” mean when used properly? I’ve heard it used a couple of different ways and I never had a clear idea which one was correct. * * * Hopefully, I can convince you to accept “hopefully” as a disjunct adverb. Frankly, I would be lying if I said I were confident. Perhaps this subject is simply too complex for me to explain. Unfortunately, I would be lucky to explain my way out of a paper bag. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/78 "2000-04-12T21:50:00Z")
Well, the way most people seem to use it is in saying that an argument or statement leaves out a vital piece of information. That is, it begs you to ask a particular question. What I learned was correct was that one uses it to say that an argument is built on a prior assumption that hasn’t been proven. In other words, the argument begs you to overlook the fact that it is built on an unsubstantiated (questionable) premise. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/79 "2000-04-12T21:59:00Z")
Here are a couple of examples I found: Incorrect Use: [http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story\_877.html](http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/story/story_877.html) Correct Use: [http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37421fee7853.htm](http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a37421fee7853.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/80 "2000-04-12T22:45:00Z")
I love you people! One of my pet peeves is people who use quotation marks (note, they are not called quotes; quote is a verb, not a noun) for emphasis when they are not really quoting. For example: “I told him to have a “really” good time.” ## I actually had someone say to me “I wrote a really nasty note to him telling him what I thought and I used quotation marks for emphasis and everything!” She was proud of this! * * * I’m a political prisoner trapped in a windowless cage Cuz I stopped the slaughter of turnips by killing five men in a rage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928.md?page=5)