A company i am doing some work for is developing scenarios for their sales reps to use for role playing exercises. One scenario described a female doctor as a “no holes barred” type of person. I’m pretty sure No Holes Barred is the name of a porn movie, if it isn’t it should be. Certainly not how you want to describe your doctor.
Of course the correct phrase is no *holds *barred as in, use whatever hold you want in a wrestling match. Luckily they sent it to us and didn’t just use it as is.
Anyone seen seriously mistaken phrases that got through?
This is not exactly what you were looking for, but: at a previous job one of my minor responsibilities was proofreading classified ads looking for MDs. The fine print in these things is usually pretty boilerplate, but an ad once came through that had, in big bold letter at the bottom: HANDICAPPERS WELCOME. I told the classified ad rep to call the client to explain to them that a “handicapper” was someone who set the odds for a horse race, and that not to go all PC and shit but I’d never in my life heard the handicapped/people with disabilities/whatever referred to as “handicappers.” And anyway, the vague “we are an equal opportunity employer” is sort of what most people put here.
A few hours later the rep informed me that the client insisted on their wording. So was the person in charge of writing ads at this hospital or clinic: an idiot? A prankster? Someone actually seeking to put off an applicant in a wheelchair? Or were they really looking for a gynecologist who could also help them out with the ponies?
There was a company-wide memo once from a muckety saying that the company’s executives had made a conscience decision to do something. I think it had to do with the constant downsizing we were experiencing at the time.
I thought about correcting them, but decided I needed my job to last a bit longer.
There’s a whole mess of 'em out there.
I often see - in print - variations of “poured over X” to describe a process of intense scrutinization, instead of the correct “pored over X”.
Also, “hone in on X” instead of the correct “home in on X.” To “home in” is to move toward a particular destination. To “hone” is to sharpen or refine; “hone in” doesn’t even make sense.
The Association I work for has a big Corporate-style Christmas party every year that is paid for by the members (regional businesses). Since it’s Corporate-style, they always have a long speach of recognition where they confer honours and pass out awards. A few years ago the presenter kept using the word ‘recipicant’; as in, ‘The recipicant for [whatever] award is…’ Over, and over, and over. Fortunately I’d forgotten about it in the intervening year – until someone mentioned it at the next party. For nearly two years now, whenever I send a file in Outlook => Sent to => Mail recipient I can’t help always mentally saying ‘Mail recipicant’.
::::nitpick:::: but an Eggcorn does make sense on some weird level, otherwise it would simply be a Malapropism.
I know this isn’t the same as “no holes barred” but it’s still funny. My sister’s boss sent a letter to a customer. The point of the letter was to highlight certain cleanliness/sterile (yeah right) procedures on the factory floor. Bosslady stated that no food or drinks (again, yeah right) are allowed on the floor and that the peons aren’t even allowed to chew cum (um…ok?).
Yes, she meant to say gum and again I say, yeah right. What a load of crap. The typo was bad enough but I think she deserved the embarrassment for such blatant lying.
“No Holes Barred” – I, too, immediately thought “porn movie!”
I once had a customer service employee who couldn’t figure out why her customers didn’t understand her. But is was because she used made up words: “After I explained it the second time I apologized for the confusement.”
I used to work at a bank and when someone would make a large deposit, we would have to put a hold on part of the funds. It’s a federal regulation to prevent money laundering. Anyway, the money would be available in 5 business days. But I had two coworkers that would say “5 day business hold.” No, we’re not holding the business. No, we’re not holding any businesses. The word “business” applies to “day” not to “hold.”
If a general practitioner does gynecology, ENT, and prostate exams, might she really be a “no holes barred” doctor?
I am not certain so I have not confronted him yet to correct it, but I think my boyfriend (who is pretty darn smart and has the degrees and career to prove it) is saying “cheap SKAPE” instead of cheapskate. I hope my ears are failing me and require further examples to verify.
He also CANNOT say Vietnamese. It comes out Viet-mah-nese. We are working on it.
I used to have a coworker who couldn’t say ‘prerequisite’. It came out ‘pre-rek-KWIZZIT?’ She also couldn’t say ‘Wyoming’. It would be ‘Wy-o-min’ (dropping the ‘g’) or ‘Wy-o-MING’ (emphasis on the last syllable).
My Ex would always say, if we were heading out somewhere early, that we had to get up at the “crack of doom”. I would say DAWN. DAWN. He would say DOOM. Every time. It was a telling misuse by Mr Negativity.
Was he a Tolkien fan?
Yes, to a degree, but I don’t think that was the origin. And even if you say it was, I will deny it because that will mean I got divorced for nothing. 
I’ve been collecting these from my students. Some of them include:
- take for granite
- in lameness terms (instead of “layman’s”)
- make the game worth wild
There are more, but they make very little sense.
And of course, it’s a “vicious circle” and NOT a “vicious cycle.”
This doesn’t completely fit, but I see these sorts of errors a lot on the stupid reality shows I watch. I think the producers love to leave the errors in so the subjects look just a little more stupid.
I can only remember a couple of recent examples…one guy saying “we’re in the mist [of something]” instead of “midst” on Jersey Shore. And on The Real Housewives of NYC a woman said that someone was on someone else “like white rice” instead of “like white on rice.”
I also hear “far and few between” a lot more than I’d like to.
“For all intensive purposes” has been steadily rising in popularity.
Note that there’s a school of thought (well represented on SDMB) that decries “prescriptivism”. I suspect many of these mangled phrases are now common enough that this group would argue they have become fully legitimate.
I’ve heard people say something that google swears isn’t a real saying: “at crossed hatchets.” At crossed purposes comes up, and so does at loggerheads, but not hatchets. I could swear I’ve heard several people say it though, and hatchets doesn’t sound like purposes or loggerheads… 
Siam Sam, a vicious cycle is something that keeps happening. The vicious circle is a reference to the Algonquin Round Table, Dorothy Parker’s group. ::sticks fingers in ears::