I work for a major financial corporation, and am constantly amazed and amused in meetings at work by people who misuse common phrases by getting one or more words wrong. For example, I often hear someone talking about "flushing out the details" of a project (instead of "fleshing out") or wondering what the next problem will be to "come down the pipe" (instead of "come down the pike") Are we a nation obsessed with plumbing? (ha) Just kidding. But does anyone else have any good ones they've heard (plumbing related or otherwise?)
2006-07-15 08:43:12 · 6 answers · asked by Schleppy 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
All of your answers so far are cracking me up! Keep em comin' !
2006-07-15 08:56:24 · update #1
The one that gets me, is that on BBC news programmes, it is regularly said that someone was 'on tender hooks', when we all know that it should be 'tenterhooks', the nails they hang herrings on in the smoking ovens.............. (not many people know that but it's true). Another one they always use is 'he had to eat humble pie' while once again we all know that it is of course 'umble' pie, the umbles being the offal of the deer that was fed to the lower class people and therefore they had to eat 'umble pie'. (not many people know that either)........... Cheers mate.........
2006-07-15 08:52:00 · answer #1 · answered by thomasrobinsonantonio 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The mis-use of insure/ensure has really been a pet peeve of mine. I worked for an insurance company and I would routinely see the educated management say, "I wish to insure that we are doing all we can..." It should be ENSURE. And I'd change it when I did their correspondence and they'd insist it should be INSURE because we work for an insurance company. In that context, it's ENSURE.
LOL!
One of my favorites is from "Friends." Joey said something was a "moo" point... "You know, like a cow's opinion... it doesn't mean anything... it's moo." We still use that one in our house. LOL!
2006-07-15 15:51:41 · answer #2 · answered by Rogue Scrapbooker 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of my students (5th grade) in her music test wrote "pennissimo" instead of "pianissimo" (vey quietly - in music)
And one of the language schools used a slogan which can be translated into English like that: "The other tongue in your mouth".
2006-07-15 16:53:43 · answer #3 · answered by ~ B ~ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Is the expression "If that's what you think, you've got another thing coming," OR "If that's what you think, you've got another THINK coming"???
I saw an ad on my apt. bldg. bulletin board asking for help to find a lost pet cat which was a "spade" female! Argh!
2006-07-15 15:51:33 · answer #4 · answered by catintrepid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Someone on IM once wrote to me they thought Jennifer Lopez was a "pre-madonna" - think they meant "prima donna", but never mind!
2006-07-15 15:48:39 · answer #5 · answered by Claire D 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Let's see
For all intensive purposes (intents and purposes) is my favorite.
2006-07-15 18:37:19 · answer #6 · answered by Teacher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋