8 sayings you use wrong

Nobody knows for sure how many words are in the English language, with estimates floating between 250,000 and a million. What isn't in dispute is that English has considerably more words than any other language .

The reason for English's massive vocab list is that ours is a very inclusive language, meaning it has been able to absorb words from foreign tongues with relative ease. This etymological curiosity is of little consolation to English speakers, who are stuck with many more words to learn than everybody else.

And, as the folks over at Cracked found out, we aren't doing a particularly good job of handling this burden. In fact, some fairly common words, such as bemused, pristine, enormity and plethora, are, more often than not, being used incorrectly.

Having read their list of "Nine Words That Don't Mean What You Think," we've decided to expand the usage fun and throw out some phrases which also may not mean what you believe them to mean.

1. I could care less
What you think it means: "I couldn't care less."
What it actually means: You actually do care.

2. It begs the question
Would you think it means: To ask or raise a question
What it actually means: To use an argument that assumes as proved the very thing one is trying to prove.

3. Let's table this
What you think it means: To discuss something later
What it actually means: This is tricky, because in the United States, it means what you think it does. But it means the exact opposite -- "let's discuss this right now" -- in most of the rest of the English-speaking world. Best not to be used in any international setting.

4. I did a 360
What you think it means: Completely changing your opinion.
What it actually means: Your opinion changed, but then changed back to your original opinion.

5. PIN number
What you think it means: A non-repetitive way to refer to your personal identification number
What it actually means: That you're being redundant. Especially when you use your PIN number at the ATM machine.

6. Lion's share
What you think it means: The greatest of multiple shares
What it actually means: You're not technically incorrect, because, over time this has become one of the phrase's definitions. But the phrase originally comes from an Aesop's Fable in which the lion took all -- not the largest -- of the shares. Because that's what lions tend to do.

7. The exception that proves the rule
What you think it means: Any counterexample to a rule proves the rule. For example, if you said you only date blondes, but somebody pointed out the time you dated a brunette, you might say that it is "the exception that proves the rule." This popular usage makes no sense at all.
What it actually means: The idiom actually does make sense -- but you have to think about it along the lines of the exception proves that a rule exists. For example," No parking on Saturdays" would mean that you can park in the spot any other day of the week.

8. I am nauseous.
What you think it means: I have a sick feeling in my stomach.
What it actually means: It depends. Prior to World War II, you'd have been clearly saying, "I make other people sick," and the correct term would have been "I am nauseated." However, over time, the usage has shifted to the point that many language experts have deemed "I am nauseous" as an acceptable explanation of your own queasiness. Just be careful using that term around the old folks' home.



Doric,Midnight,Lothar,Storm,Underoath,leavehard, etc. might get a kick out of this.
F

Uh... I say I did a 180.

irregardless I am always right

Quote: Originally Posted by Jizz... Uh... I say I did a 180.

Yeah, I have had employees tell me they did a 360, I look at them funny and tell them to stop spinning in circles, thats why you did it wrong.

Shouldn't the thread title be "8 sayings you use incorrectly"?

Much to do about nothing.

(I just saw this one posted in the DR.)

Quote: Originally Posted by ShelbyGoat... irregardless I am always right

I love it when a plan comes together....

Neck!

I lol'd at the last line.

When I was a young one, I used to say "Louder it" when referring to the television volume. It stuck. People look at me weird when I say "Can you louder the T.V.?" That's okay. I'll keep that piece of my childhood forever. I believe my brothers still say it as well.

I hate when people say they did a 360. A guy at work said it the other day while we were at lunch. I was like . People don't pay attention to what they're saying anymore.

My father is really bad about this. He says seen where he should say saw, a lot. God damn is it annoying. "I seen that." "Just the other day I seen where....." Makes me want to tear my hair out.

lol, one piece of awesomeness that quite a few on my Mother's side of the family use, gooder. Apparently, they were never taught what the word better means, although they've gotten better over the years. It's actually fairly amusing to hear them use it in a sentence. Makes them sound like an idiot

Quote: Originally Posted by Twitch... Yeah, I have had employees tell me they did a 360, I look at them funny and tell them to stop spinning in circles, thats why you did it wrong.

You should fire them for being illiterate dumbsmurfs.

My pet peeve: "It is what it is." - G#d dammit, of course it is, what the h&ll else is it?

Quote: Originally Posted by RyanGTO... Shouldn't the thread title be "8 sayings you use incorrectly"?

Personally, I thought they were called expressions- but I'm no linguist.

It's funny that I ignored the thread because the title irritates me so much and the thread is what it's title describes.

Quote: Originally Posted by d420gto... Personally, I thought they were called expressions- but I'm no linguist. It's funny that I ignored the thread because the title irritates me so much and the thread is what it's title describes.

Quote: Originally Posted by RyanGTO... Shouldn't the thread title be "8 sayings you use incorrectly"?

Hey, I hijacked the title for the source I copied it from. Leave me alone.
F

It annoys me when people say, "For all intensive purposes...."

Quote: Originally Posted by SJFGTO... My pet peeve: "It is what it is." - G#d dammit, of course it is, what the h&ll else is it?

Lol. I say that a lot. Basically, the point I'm trying to make, when I say that, is either that I'm not judging the situation, I'm just pointing it out, or that sometimes you just have to accept a situation that you can't change.

I always liked "shit happens"

But in fact, sometimes it doesn't happen. So then what ?

Quite the conundrum here.

Quote: Originally Posted by Leavehard... I always liked "shit happens" But in fact, sometimes it doesn't happen. So then what ? Quite the conundrum here.

What do you do when it happens on approach captain????

I really can't stand "expresso". It's "ESPRESSO"!!! Also, "Lemme axe you sumthin" Axe? Are you serious right now? I had a girlfriend that used to say "tooken". That drove me crazy. It's "taken". Get it right.

My wife has one that I correct almost every time I hear it, she says "8am in the morning." I tell her that yes, 8am is in the morning.

Quote: Originally Posted by RyanGTO... I really can't stand "expresso". It's "ESPRESSO"!!! Also, "Lemme axe you sumthin" Axe? Are you serious right now? I had a girlfriend that used to say "tooken". That drove me crazy. It's "taken". Get it right.

Libary, Ambulance (pronounced am-buh-lans), Burglelarm (supposed to be burglar alarm), Finna, I can go on all day if we're talking about words and not expressions.

Quote: Originally Posted by Underoath... Libary, Ambulance (pronounced am-buh-lans), Burglelarm (supposed to be burglar alarm), Finna, I can go on all day if we're talking about words and not expressions.

Or adding S to everyword. I am going to eat me some Sonics. Lets go to Wal-Marts.

Quote: Originally Posted by ChrisMcGTO04... What do you do when it happens on approach captain????

es no problemo

It's when it happens on departure that makes for a long stinkin day.

Quote: Originally Posted by RyanGTO... I really can't stand "expresso". It's "ESPRESSO"!!! Also, "Lemme axe you sumthin" Axe? Are you serious right now? I had a girlfriend that used to say "tooken". That drove me crazy. It's "taken". Get it right.

My biggest pet peeve is when someone mixes up the meanings of sale and sell. Some idiot will post that they "have parts for sell" and others will post that they want to sale a part. WTF! Get it right people!

Quote: Originally Posted by Leavehard... es no problemo It's when it happens on departure that makes for a long stinkin day.

Guess at least you don't have to make the "walk of shame" as in the regional barbie jets....

"Approach we might need to hold"

Quote: Originally Posted by SJFGTO... My pet peeve: "It is what it is." - G#d dammit, of course it is, what the h&ll else is it?

It certainly ain't a moon.


the one I hate is "it's a mute point" when I see people who write it.

I've seen a word that I am not sure how it became standard, but when I would call customer service regarding my account, they tell me they're going to "notate" it, and it just sounds kind of off to me. Why not just tell me that you're going to NOTE my account? Notate sounds like someone decided that "Note" sounded too basic, so they tried to sound intelligent and said, "notate". It reminds me of that In Living Color skit where that guy uses a bunch of big words incorrectly.

Quote: Originally Posted by TXGTOU... I've seen a word that I am not sure how it became standard, but when I would call customer service regarding my account, they tell me they're going to "notate" it, and it just sounds kind of off to me. Why not just tell me that you're going to NOTE my account? Notate sounds like someone decided that "Note" sounded too basic, so they tried to sound intelligent and said, "notate". It reminds me of that In Living Color skit where that guy uses a bunch of big words incorrectly.

Was that an In Living Color skit or was it Mike Tyson's life?

Quote: Originally Posted by Underoath... Was that an In Living Color skit or was it Mike Tyson's life?

A little of both. You could probably get a couple of athletes' interviews together and make a hall of shame. Like that one athlete that said he was "amphibious".