# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/81 "2000-04-12T22:50:00Z")
> [@](#): > > What I hate the most (besides apostrophe’s in plural’s - AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!)are redundancies such as the following: Or HIV virus. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/82 "2000-04-12T22:54:00Z")
The worst, the absolute worst, is “snuck” as the past tense of “sneak.” Anyone who does it should be beaten with a truncheon. It doesn’t even make linguistic sense. I can’t think of a single “-eak” or “-eek” verb that inflects “-uck” or even another example that people inflect that way incorrectly. So why do it with “sneak”? ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/83 "2000-04-12T23:26:00Z")
See, **Otto** , I think the absolute worst is “drug” as the past tense of “to drag”. My fiance used that once and I teased him unmercifully about being straight out of Missouri. Sure, he looked it up in the dictionary and it’s in there as a colloquialism, but it makes me wince. ---
**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, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/84 "2000-04-12T23:35:00Z")
Oh, **cher** , I hear you loud and clear. I recall from a college logic class that begging the question is more or less the same thing as a circular argument, which sounds like what you are saying is the right way. I don’t hear people use it the wrong way too often … you’d think it would be easy just to say, “This debate _provokes_ the question of…” I do hear people use it as an accusation of circular logic when in fact the “circular logic” is merely a definition, not a syllogism. Not germane to your post, but germane to the OP, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![LBJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecae2f/32.png) [@LBJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LBJay)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/85 "2000-04-12T23:40:00Z")
Ok, my favorite misused 50 cent word is: penultimate. It’s usually used by someone who throws fancy words around trying to sound real smart. Inevitably it’s used as a synonym for “one step better than ultimate,” or “ultimate-ultimate,” as in: “The Godfather” is Francis Ford Coppola’s penultimate directorial achievement. In fact, it means second to last as in: "The Godfather: Part II is the penultimate movie in the “Godfather” series. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2000, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/86 "2000-04-12T23:44:00Z")
I guess there are ignorant people everywhere and there’s not much we can do about that, but my pet peeves are TV news anchors who say things that are so plainly wrong. Those people do have an obligation to speak correctly. In the “could of” category: using “is” instead of “has” like in “Clinton is decided to…” or “help is been sent” I hear this all the time and it makes me cringe. I am surprised it has not been mentioned before in this thread. Impact is much abused when the correct word would be effect (noun) or “affect”. Which brings me to people who confuse effect and affect as verbs. They are totally different An expression that I hate is “a high rate of speed”. How convoluted can you get? What’s the difference with just going “fast”? Words and expressions that are often used incorrectly do end up changing their meaning. Rather than defend the old “correct” use or the new “popular” meaning, I think it is best to just avoid them until their meaning has settled and does not invite confusion. I also dislike politically correct euphemisms. They sound so stupid. It’s funny that English not being my native language I seem to notice these things much more than native speakers. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese. ---
**Author:** ![aschrott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/aca169/32.png) [@aschrott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aschrott)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/87 "2000-04-13T03:35:00Z")
My favorite is “peruse”. Most people use the word as if it means “to glance over briefly, or skim”. (I’ll quickly peruse these reports and get them right back to you). But it actually means “to study in detail”. I also get a kick out of _nauseous_ vs. _nauseated_. According to the dictionary they are interchangeable in meaning, but I always learned that to be _nauseous_ was to make others feel _nauseated_. So whenever someone says they feel nauseous, I feel like saying “yep”. 🙂 * * * Ignorant since 1972 ---
**Author:** ![PatrickM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@PatrickM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickM)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/88 "2000-04-13T18:21:00Z")
I hate it when people, typically TV newscasters, confuse irony with coincidence. ---
**Author:** ![Dorf\_OnLine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dorf\_OnLine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorf_OnLine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/89 "2000-04-13T18:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Otto: > \*\* Or HIV virus.\*\* Or VIN number PCV valve Please RSVP ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/90 "2000-04-13T18:58:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by cygnus: > \*\*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. > \*\* Umm…what’s wrong with “Free microwave’s included?” Granted, it should be **A** Free microwave’s included," but surely you don’t think they’re giving away multiple microwaves to each tennant? Also, with the myriad of replies this thread has gotten, I’m surprised nobody has pointed out that one. It’s just MYRIAD, people! Get it through your skulls. Myriad = many, not lot, as in “a myriad of”. A saw has myriad teeth, not a myriad of teeth. * * * Truth does not change because it is, or is not, beleived by a majority of the people. -Giordano Bruno ---
**Author:** ![rubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/91 "2000-04-13T19:25:00Z")
thanks Shayna, I’m glad you didn’t post that one. Does it hurt anyone else to hear: I seen you yesterday. Oh I hate it when seen is used incorrectly. * * * Nothing is so bad that it can’t get worse. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/92 "2000-04-13T19:31:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by Flymaster: > \*\*It’s just MYRIAD, people! Get it through your skulls. > > Myriad = many, not lot, as in “a myriad of”. > A saw has myriad teeth, not a myriad of teeth.\*\* ::Ahem:: [http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=myriad](http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?term=myriad) * * * _Eschew Obfuscation_ ---
**Author:** ![Flymaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c4cdca/32.png) [@Flymaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flymaster)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/93 "2000-04-13T19:39:00Z")
::Ahem:: That’s one tasty foot. ---
**Author:** ![srwilkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@srwilkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/srwilkins)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/94 "2000-04-13T19:40:00Z")
A little counter-nitpicking: Dorf, “PCV” stands for “Positive Crankcase Ventilation”, which means the phrase “PCV valve” is not redundant. ---
**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 13, 2000, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/95 "2000-04-13T20:13:00Z")
First, sorry for the multi-post. I’m such a goomer! Second, I noticed an ad in the paper today for a store having an IRS sale. Obviously they are staging this sale to coincide with Tax day, hence IRS. The acronym IRS had an asterisk next to it, which let to a footnote that explained IRS stands for “Inventory Reduction Sale”. The redundancy of “Inventory Reduction Sale sale” was enough to sicken one. I am interested in the post that dealt with use of the word “myself”. I find myself using this word to sound verbose and important in the role of teacher, but never in the company of friends and peers. It IS a huge put-on word!! 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 13, 2000, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/96 "2000-04-13T20:27:00Z")
Ooh! Ooh! I thought of more! How about some more mis-uses of the word hell? Like “hell with it” and “the hell if I am”. What does that mean? Shouldn’t it be “to hell with it” and “like hell I am”? Also check out the thread titles- rife with grammar blunders: “What’s some gross things you saw other kids do?”, “College going-ons”, etc… Sweet Basil * * * [SRB](http://www.selfrighteousbrothers.com) will get you girls!! ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/97 "2000-04-13T20:40:00Z")
My two favs, taken from student papers (4th year university, no less!) “For all intensive purposes” and “He prolly wanted me to be an engineer, but I want to be an editor.” Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! E. * * * “Black holes were created when God divided by 0” ~Wally ---
**Author:** ![quadell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/b9bd4f/32.png) [@quadell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quadell)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/98 "2000-04-13T21:03:00Z")
Boris B., I think your dictionary is wrong. 🙂 It’s changing its definition of the English language to fit our mistakes. Pretty soon, we’ll see “it’s” as a legal possessive, since most people use it that way anyway. (My dictionary lists “irregardless” as an alternate form of regardless. Dern hippy dictionary.) On the other hand, if we didn’t eventually accept mistakes as part of the language, English just wouldn’t be English. It’d still be Latin I suppose. (I still get upset over “the exception which proves the rule”, which Cecil covered, and “across”, which does **not** have an invisible “t” at the end.) And I’d like to change our use of quotes in English. I think a quote should be treated as a single entity, with inside punctuation staying inside and outside punctuation staying outside. _She asked “Really?”. Did you shout “Fire!”? “e,”, “e.”, and “e” are different strings._ See? Makes sense to me anyway. Your Quadell ---
**Author:** ![Dorf\_OnLine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@Dorf\_OnLine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorf_OnLine)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/99 "2000-04-13T21:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by sigmund: > **A little counter-nitpicking: Dorf, “PCV” stands for “Positive Crankcase Ventilation”, which means the phrase “PCV valve” is not redundant.** Not, “Pollution Control Valve?” Did it at least _used_ to be that? ---
**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 13, 2000, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/100 "2000-04-13T23:14:00Z")
Okay, **Quadell** , my dictionary may be wrong, but could you be a little more specific about where? I’ve made couple of points on this thread and I don’t know which you are disagreeing with Merriam and Webster and me on. * * * 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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928.md?page=6)