# Commonly misused words/phrases

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928>\
**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:** 4\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/101 "2000-04-13T23:22:00Z")

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And you can’t read a newspaper these days without seeing a reference to a [dot.com](http://dot.com) company, uhh doesn’t that make them a dot dot com company.  
Keith

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**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2000, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/102 "2000-04-14T03:34:00Z")

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I just heard Ben Stein say “nukyular”. ARGH!

I’ve heard some girls and women say “This is so fun!” That’s right, there is no word between the “so” and the “fun”.

* * *

…this is another Moebius sig…b!s sn!qaoW jay+oue s! s!y+…  
(adaptation of a _WallyM7Sig™_ a la quadell)

For business reasons, I must preserve the outward signs of sanity. - Mark Twain

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2000, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/103 "2000-04-14T08:20:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> Hoi polloi is often misused. It is a derogatory expression meaning the “common people” or “uncultured masses.”

It is also incorrect to say “the hoi polloi”, since “hoi” means “the”.

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**Author:** ![rubes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2000, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/commonly-misused-words-phrases/15928/104 "2000-04-14T12:52:00Z")

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I’m not sure if this is misuse or not, but it bothers me none the less.

People using promise for swear, such as:

I didn’t do it, I promise.

to me, that doesn’t sound right.

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