words most often used incorrectly

[Sav'nBass]

He was prostate on the ground.
Statue of limitations.

I hate getting a prostrate exam.. but be all that as it may..... (As opposed to be all that as it may be....)

... and some of you folks may not be familiar with this one... but you know.. I knew I likded her when I first seen her..

 

[Munjibunga]

Phenomena (it's plural).

 

[GregC]

Phenomena

 

[megafiddle]

"free"

 

[DDXdesign]

I have many rants about this, enough that I'm planning a quickie YouTube series...

If misuses and mispronunciations count, as opposed to just 'wrong word for the sentence,' I'll go with some fun ones: FOOD. Now, I know that our collective American idiocy has ruined this stuff forever thanks to "language evolution" - which I am all for except in cases where we just allow people to be wrong and it becomes OK - but let's try to fix it!

1. Gyros. You want one Greek flatbread sandwich concoction? That is one GYROS, please! (Yee-rohss) Two = GYRII.

2. Panini. You want one Italian grilled sandwich concoction? That is one PANINO, please! Two = PANINI.

3. Mascarpone. Now, I don't make a huge fuss about people pronouncing the trailing "e" (or not doing so) too much, but Jesus, what on Earth makes people say 'MARS-CAPONE'??? Even the dumbest rednecks should be able to pronounce it, the first half is spelled just like NASCAR! Mahss'-car-poh'-neh. It's not rocket surgery.

4. Chipotle. Another one where the letters are all there and are not hard to say, but I'll be damned if some DFs don't wander out of their doublewides in the morning and think they need to get themselves down to the Chip-ohlll-tay for some burrituhs. Chip. Oat. Lay.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Cheep'o'tel for quite awhile here until I learned from a TV ad how it goes.

 

[Pilgrim]

Criterion (singular) vs. criteria (plural). What is so dang hard about remembering that??

But the most common error is to use ANY word to modify the word "unique."

Unique is unique. It cannot be modified or used in conjunction with any modifier. Something is unique or it is not. It's a binary condition, Yes or No.

It is not possible for anything to be very, almost, nearly, entirely, or otherwise "unique."

 

[cdef]

"principle" instead of "principal" (adj.)
"capitol" instead of "capital" (principal city)
"council" instead of "counsel" (advice)
"reticent" instead of "reluctant"

 

[Munjibunga]

et cetera not eckcetera
escape not excape

 

[J-Bassomatic]

et cetera not eckcetera
escape not excape

Yep, thank you.

 

[J-Bassomatic]

Yep, thank you.

I mean seriously, Excape, like you escaped but then went back?

 

[shadowtippy]

Criterion (singular) vs. criteria (plural). What is so dang hard about remembering that??

But the most common error is to use ANY word to modify the word "unique."

Unique is unique. It cannot be modified or used in conjunction with any modifier. Something is unique or it is not. It's a binary condition, Yes or No.

It is not possible for anything to be very, almost, nearly, entirely, or otherwise "unique."

The same for "perfect." It either is or is not perfect. Nor can something be more perfect.

 

[Stumbo]

Sangwich, not sandwich.
No vocals needed.

 

[Passinwind]

defiantly for definitely

viola for voila

 

[bobyoung53]

"Chomping at the bit" It's supposed to be "champing at the bit" That one drives me nuts. People have used it wrong for so long it's actually accepted usage now. To champ means when a horse bites at the bit, you all know what chomp means.
Another one I was guilty of for the longest time: Irregardless

 

[hondo4life]

"Chomping at the bit" It's supposed to be "champing at the bit" That one drives me nuts. People have used it wrong for so long it's actually accepted usage now. To champ means when a horse bites at the bit, you all know what chomp means.
Another one I was guilty of for the longest time: Irregardless

I prefer stomping at the pit

 

[Root 5]

Who and whom.

 

[Richland123]

In the same vein, EXCETERA. GRRRRrrrrr

I heard my employee this morning tell one of my auto insurance customers that she could add a coverage to their Ford "Excape".

She also says "supposably" for "supposedly" no matter how many times I tell her it is incorrect.

 

[tlc1976]

One I hear a lot is "chimley" instead of chimney. Not sure where the L ever came from.

 

[bholder]

And, no, I do not accept that the poster is simply expressing himself in a way that "works for him".

I accept that just fine, but I don't accept unreadable communications. If folks want to express themselves by writing unreadable drivel, I'm cool with it, but "communication was not did".