# Phrases you've seen mangled **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 3, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141 "2010-03-03T16:08:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/1 "2010-03-03T16:08:02Z")
This is kind of like threads where various misspellings drive you nuts, but this one is about phrases and cliches. These can be spoken as well as written. The latest one I’ve heard was “If money was no option, where would you live?” Um, if money was no option, I’d live with my parents. If it was no OBJECT, then I’d live in a beach house. “It doesn’t matter, it’s six and one half dozen of the other.” Gotcha. Twelve. “If you eat that, it’ll make you sick, then you might throw out.” Mmm, projectile vomiting. “We’ll get so stoned 'til stoned isn’t stoned.” I think he meant to say stoned as stoned can be. He may not have been thinking clearly at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/2 "2010-03-03T16:13:09Z")
I’m just going to go ahead and toss out the ones Dopers always bitch about. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some: “all intensive purposes” “whole nother thing” “E **c** cetera” “could care less” ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/3 "2010-03-03T16:17:32Z")
Not a phrase, but people generally think “infer” and “imply” are either interchangeable or have no clue what the difference is. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/4 "2010-03-03T16:27:08Z")
Mute Point = fingers on a hot tin roof ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/5 "2010-03-03T16:31:18Z")
could ‘of’ would ‘of’ should ‘of’ I wish torture on anyone I see writing this phrase. Spoken, I can understand that the ‘ve’ in could’ve sounds like ‘of’, but when someone writes it…gah! Suffer the same torment you put me through! ---
**Author:** ![breaking-reality](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a8b319/32.png) [@breaking-reality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaking-reality)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/6 "2010-03-03T17:04:43Z")
I second the could ‘of’, would ‘of’, should ‘of’…drives me nuts. Also, “We’ll touch basis” instead of ‘base’. Tacking “You know what I mean?” to the back of any statement. This is okay every now and then, but when it’s every other sentence? Please just shoot me now. “I’ve ate already” Nope, either you ‘ate already’, or you ‘have eaten’. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/7 "2010-03-03T17:46:16Z")
> [@breaking-reality](#): > > Also, “We’ll touch basis” instead of ‘base’. Many many years go I had this conversation. Me: I play guitar. Him: Cool! Do you know how to play basic guitar? Me: You mean bass guitar? Yeah, a little. Him: No, not bass, basic. Me: Um, I don’t know. I play both acoustic and electric. Him: But can you play basic guitar? Me: Um, I can play both lead and rhythm. Is that what you mean? Him: No, basic guitar. Me. I don’t know what you mean by that. Him: Then you must not be very good. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/8 "2010-03-03T17:56:15Z")
It was an active God. Let’s nip it in the butt. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/9 "2010-03-03T17:57:40Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Let’s nip it in the butt. Only if it’s butt naked. ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/10 "2010-03-03T18:00:10Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Many many years go I had this conversation. > > Me: I play guitar. > > Him: Cool! Do you know how to play basic guitar? > > Me: You mean bass guitar? Yeah, a little. > > Him: No, not bass, basic. > > Me: Um, I don’t know. I play both acoustic and electric. > > Him: But can you play basic guitar? > > Me: Um, I can play both lead and rhythm. Is that what you mean? > > Him: No, basic guitar. > > Me. I don’t know what you mean by that. > > Him: Then you must not be very good. [Basic guitar](http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/guitar_hero_pocket.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/11 "2010-03-03T18:01:06Z")
“The proof is in the pudding.” Argh! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/12 "2010-03-03T18:03:44Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > [Basic guitar](http://technabob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/guitar_hero_pocket.jpg). Ah. Then I guess I’m not very good. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/13 "2010-03-03T18:05:39Z")
“The cruxt of the situation” “This doesn’t jive with that” ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Alan\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/14 "2010-03-03T18:06:55Z")
“…just to name a few” instead of “…to name just a few.” ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/15 "2010-03-03T18:11:03Z")
“Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him well.” This one bugs the Heck out of me, probably because I considered the offenders, prior to uttering the phrase, to be slightly more knowledgeable than the average schmo. Of course the correct word is Horatio. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/16 "2010-03-03T18:15:01Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > “The proof is in the pudding.” Argh! The proof isn’t in the pudding? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/17 "2010-03-03T18:17:17Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > “The proof is in the pudding.” Argh! …that isn’t right? What should the phrase be? ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/18 "2010-03-03T18:18:34Z")
“Get untracked” instead of “get on track” “Hone in on” instead of “home in on” “Quote unquote” instead of “quote, endquote”, especially when the “unquote” appears before the thing being quoted …Aaand my current number one beef (mentioned in at least one previous thread) is… “One of the only” instead of either “one of only a few” or “one of the few”. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/19 "2010-03-03T18:19:13Z")
> [@Oni no Maggie](#): > > …that isn’t right? What should the phrase be? It should be “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141/20 "2010-03-03T18:22:15Z")
Ahhh. I always thought it referred to, metaphorically, experimenting with new ingredients…always a risky proposition and…do they work? Well, the proof that they do (or don’t) will be in the final pudding created! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phrases-youve-seen-mangled/531141.md?page=2)