# People who just can't quite use the right word **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2005, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654 "2005-02-24T06:04:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/21 "2005-02-25T00:13:15Z")
Oh, I thought of another one. I used to have a boss who would use “glean” to mean distribute. Like, “We’re going to glean that information to the staff.” I worked for him for years and finally worked up the courage to tell him the real meaning of glean. ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/22 "2005-02-25T00:40:58Z")
My stepmother, when referring to things that occur all day, every day, says they happen 24/10. I know so many people who get flusterated when things don’t go easily for them. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/23 "2005-02-25T00:48:31Z")
I once worked with a woman who called the things you cook shishkebab on “screwers.” 😃 ---
**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:** [February 25, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/24 "2005-02-25T01:33:17Z")
At a party a schoolfriend of mine invited his then girlfriend to come out into the backyard. She was of Polish origin and proud of her English skills which were usually very good but she replied that she would stay indoors with the rest of us because she was feeling “really lustless”. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/25 "2005-02-25T01:51:45Z")
> [@](#): > > My dad, though, says “wench” for “winch.” In some dialects (like my own), these two words would be pronounced identically (as would “pen” and “pin”, for that matter). Intellectually, I know there should be a difference, but I have a hard time hearing it, and don’t bother to distinguish them in my speech – it’s a legitimate dialectical variant. I suspect your dad is the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/26 "2005-02-25T01:53:09Z")
My husband’s boss likes to nip things in the butt before they get out of hand. And one of my girlfriends has been known to recline invitations. ---
**Author:** ![Peyton\_Farquhar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Peyton\_Farquhar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peyton_Farquhar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/27 "2005-02-25T01:57:22Z")
I know someone who says “per se” where we would say “like” or “you know”. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/28 "2005-02-25T02:18:06Z")
> [@Fat Bald Guy](#): > > I had a former boss who would always say, “I would just assume do this or that,” instead of “just as soon.” Every time I heard her say it I would just grit my teeth and try to ignore it. My friend did this, and I couldn’t correct him because he gets so bitchy and defensive (I try really hard to be nice when I correct people though). I guess he would rather just sound like an idiot. My roommate has a ton of these. I wish I could remember them all. She puts the word “admittedly” in front of every other sentence, whether it makes sense or doesn’t. She used the word “narc” in a really weird instance; I think she said something like, “I was being clumsy and knocked my mug onto the ground–I felt like such a narc!” Or she might also use “asshole” in replace of “narc” in that sentence. It’s like she doesn’t understand that different pejoratives have different connotations, and aren’t necessarily interchangeable. It doesn’t make sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/29 "2005-02-25T02:32:32Z")
I knew of this person of somewhat pretty high ranking in the government that used to say “Nookular” instead of “Nuclear.” It drove me crazy. You would think that someone in that important of a position would at least learn how to pronounce things correctly. I wonder whatever became of that guy… I sure hope he’s not messing with Social Security. Sorry, I had to. Then there’s alway the “supposubly” instead of the correct “supposedly.” That one drives me nuts on a daily basis. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/30 "2005-02-25T02:47:40Z")
> [@AwSnappity](#): > > Or she might also use “asshole” in **replace** of “narc” in that sentence. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/31 "2005-02-25T02:55:20Z")
My mon does this with names _all the time_. “Atkinson” becomes “Achison,” “Kurt” becomes “Kirk,” and "Micky becomes “Nicky.” I don’t even bother to correct her anymore. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/32 "2005-02-25T03:03:41Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > 😃 Oh shibbity. May **Gaudere** strike me down. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/33 "2005-02-25T03:05:22Z")
I hate when people use “appropos” to mean “appropriate.” Grrrrr! ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/34 "2005-02-25T03:20:24Z")
> [@AngelicGemma](#): > > I keep reading it over and over again… :smack: Big D’OH! PhenomenON is singular!!! I knew that. ---
**Author:** ![nivlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3bc359/32.png) [@nivlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nivlac)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/35 "2005-02-25T03:48:39Z")
Whether it’s a malaprop or a mispronounciation (the examples above), the root cause is ignorance. The person just never learned to use the right words or pronounciations. Unless you know the person well, it’s just about impossible to correct them without pointing out their ignorance and risk offending them. ---
**Author:** ![EmeraldGrue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dc4da7/32.png) [@EmeraldGrue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmeraldGrue)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/36 "2005-02-25T03:58:21Z")
I am that person. The other evening Love 2.0 Beta told me earnestly, “Look, **EmeraldGrue** , if we’re going to go out, you’ve _got_ to stop saying ‘quote’. It’s ‘quotation’.” :o ---
**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/37 "2005-02-25T07:36:52Z")
I’ve noticed more and more people saying “conversate” instead of “converse”. I blame rap music. ---
**Author:** ![dearissues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@dearissues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dearissues)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/38 "2005-02-25T08:29:25Z")
It may just be a regional thing, but I constantly hear “warsh” instead of “wash”. And my step-dad actually says “rinch” instead of “rinse”. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/39 "2005-02-25T08:53:41Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I hate when people use “appropos” to mean “appropriate.” Grrrrr! Well, Malaprop is just a shortening of _mal apropos_. ---
**Author:** ![bigdfrombigd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/df705f/32.png) [@bigdfrombigd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigdfrombigd)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654/40 "2005-02-25T09:21:58Z")
My Mom always says “pecific” instead of specific. Drives me nuts. My brothers girlfriend says “I got losted” instead of I got lost. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-who-just-cant-quite-use-the-right-word/291654.md?page=3)