20 stupid grammar mistakes that
even smart people make
by henryjex.blogspot.com
Jan 24
1. Prostrate cancer
It ' s an easy misspelling to make, just add an
extra " r " and prostate cancer becomes
"prostrate " cancer which would translate to
"cancer of lying face down on the ground. "
Both the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention ( CDC ) and the Mayo Clinic
websites include this misspelling .
2. First-come, first -serve
This would suggest that the first person to
arrive has to serve all of the others. The
actual phrase is "first -come, first - served " to
indicate that the participants will be served in
the order in which they arrived . Both Harvard
and Yale got this one wrong .
3. Sneak peak
A "peak " is a mountain top . A "peek " is a
quick look . The correct expression is "sneak
peek" which would mean to have a secret or
early look at something . This error appeared
on Oxford University' s site as well as the
National Park Service website .
4. Deep- seeded
This should actually be "deep - seated" to
indicate that it is firmly established . Though
"deep - seeded" could theoretically make sense ,
indicating something is planted deep in the
ground, this is not the correct expression .
Correctica found this error on the Washington
Post as well as the White House site.
5. Extract revenge
To extract something is to remove it, like a
tooth . The correct expression is "exact
revenge " which means to demand revenge .
The New York Times as well as the BBC
made this error .
6. I could care less
"I couldn' t care less" is what you would say
in order to express maximum apathy toward
a situation . Basically you' re saying , "It ' s
impossible for me to care less about this
because I have no more cares to give. I 've
run out of cares. " Using the incorrect
expression "I could care less " indicates "I still
have a few cares left to give , would you like
some?"
7. Shoe- in
"Shoo - in" is a common idiom which means a
sure winner . To "shoo" something is to urge
it in a direction . As you would "shoo " a fly
out of your house , you could also "shoo"
someone toward victory . The expression
started in the early 20 th century , relating to
horse racing and broadened to politics soon
after .
It ' s easy to see why the " shoe -in" version is
so common , perhaps derived from the door-
to -door sales practice of moving a foot into
the doorway to make it more difficult for a
prospective client to close the door. But "foot
in the door" is an entirely different idiom.
8. Emigrated to
With this one there is no debate . The verb
"emigrate" is always used with the
preposition " from , " whereas immigrate is
always used with the preposition "to . " To
emigrate is to come from somewhere , and to
immigrate is to go to somewhere . "Jimmy
emigrated from Ireland to the United States"
means the same thing as " Jimmy immigrated
to the United States from Ireland . " It ' s just a
matter of what you' re emphasizing — the
coming or the going .
9. Slight of hand
"Sleight of hand " is a common phrase in the
world of magic and illusion , because " sleight"
means the use of dexterity or cunning,
usually to deceive . On the other hand , the
noun "slight " means an insult .
10. Honed in
First, it 's important to note that this
particular expression is hotly debated . Many
references now consider " hone in" an
alteration of "home in. " That said , it is still
generally accepted that "home in" is the more
correct phrase . To home in on something
means to move toward a goal, such as "The
missile homed in on its target . "
To "hone " means to sharpen . You would say ,
"I honed my resume writing skills . " But you
would likely not say , " The missile honed in on
its target . " When followed by the preposition
"in, " the word "hone " just doesn ' t make sense .
11. Baited breath
The term "bated " is an adjective meaning
suspense. It originated from the verb "abate ,"
meaning to stop or lessen. Therefore , "to
wait with bated breath" essentially means to
hold your breath with anticipation. The verb
"bait , " on the other hand, means to taunt ,
often to taunt a predator with its prey .
A fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big
catch. Considering the meaning of the two
words, it ' s clear which is correct, but the
word "bated " is mostly obsolete today ,
leading to the ever - increasing misuse of this
expression .
12. Piece of mind
This should be "peace " of mind , meaning
calmness and tranquility . The expression
"piece of mind , " actually would suggest doling
out sections of brain .
13. Wet your appetite
This expression is more often used
incorrectly than it is used correctly — 56 % of
the time it appears online , it ' s wrong . The
correct idiom is "whet your appetite. " Whet
means to sharpen or stimulate, so to whet
your appetite would mean to awaken your
desire for something .
14. For all intensive purposes
The correct phrase should be "for all intents
and purposes. " It originates from English law
in the 1500 s that stated " to all intents ,
constructions and purposes, " which basically
means " officially" or "effectively. "
15. One in the same
One in the same would literally translate that
the "one" is inside of the same thing as itself ,
which makes no sense at all . The proper
phrase is " one and the same, " meaning the
same thing or the same person . For example ,
"When Melissa was homeschooled, her
teacher and her mother were one and the
same. "
16. Make due
When something is due, it is owed . To make
due would mean to make owed , but the
phrase to " make do " is short for "to make
something do well" or "to make something
sufficient. " When life gives you lemons, you
make do and make lemonade !
17. By in large
The phrase "by and large " was first used in
1706 to mean " in general . " It was a nautical
phrase derived from sailing terms "by " and
"large . " While it doesn ' t have a literal
meaning that makes sense, "by and large " is
the correct version of this phrase.
18. Do diligence
While it may be easy to surmise that " do
diligence" translates to doing something
diligently, it does not . "Due diligence" is a
business and legal term that means you will
investigate a person or business before
signing a contract with them , or before
formally engaging in a business deal
together . You should do your due diligence
and investigate business deals fully before
committing to them .
19. Peaked my interest
To "pique" means to arouse , so the correct
phrase here should be "piqued my interest, "
meaning that your interest was awoken . To
say that something "peaked my interest "
would mean that it looked at my interest.
20. Case and point
The correct phrase in this case is " case in
point " which derives its meaning from a
dialect of Old French. While it may not make
any logical sense today , it is a fixed idiom .
Worried that poorly functioning spell check
will make you look bad ? Run things like your
resume, blog posts and the content of
important emails through Correctica 's "Proof
it Free" tool .
even smart people make
by henryjex.blogspot.com
Jan 24
1. Prostrate cancer
It ' s an easy misspelling to make, just add an
extra " r " and prostate cancer becomes
"prostrate " cancer which would translate to
"cancer of lying face down on the ground. "
Both the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention ( CDC ) and the Mayo Clinic
websites include this misspelling .
2. First-come, first -serve
This would suggest that the first person to
arrive has to serve all of the others. The
actual phrase is "first -come, first - served " to
indicate that the participants will be served in
the order in which they arrived . Both Harvard
and Yale got this one wrong .
3. Sneak peak
A "peak " is a mountain top . A "peek " is a
quick look . The correct expression is "sneak
peek" which would mean to have a secret or
early look at something . This error appeared
on Oxford University' s site as well as the
National Park Service website .
4. Deep- seeded
This should actually be "deep - seated" to
indicate that it is firmly established . Though
"deep - seeded" could theoretically make sense ,
indicating something is planted deep in the
ground, this is not the correct expression .
Correctica found this error on the Washington
Post as well as the White House site.
5. Extract revenge
To extract something is to remove it, like a
tooth . The correct expression is "exact
revenge " which means to demand revenge .
The New York Times as well as the BBC
made this error .
6. I could care less
"I couldn' t care less" is what you would say
in order to express maximum apathy toward
a situation . Basically you' re saying , "It ' s
impossible for me to care less about this
because I have no more cares to give. I 've
run out of cares. " Using the incorrect
expression "I could care less " indicates "I still
have a few cares left to give , would you like
some?"
7. Shoe- in
"Shoo - in" is a common idiom which means a
sure winner . To "shoo" something is to urge
it in a direction . As you would "shoo " a fly
out of your house , you could also "shoo"
someone toward victory . The expression
started in the early 20 th century , relating to
horse racing and broadened to politics soon
after .
It ' s easy to see why the " shoe -in" version is
so common , perhaps derived from the door-
to -door sales practice of moving a foot into
the doorway to make it more difficult for a
prospective client to close the door. But "foot
in the door" is an entirely different idiom.
8. Emigrated to
With this one there is no debate . The verb
"emigrate" is always used with the
preposition " from , " whereas immigrate is
always used with the preposition "to . " To
emigrate is to come from somewhere , and to
immigrate is to go to somewhere . "Jimmy
emigrated from Ireland to the United States"
means the same thing as " Jimmy immigrated
to the United States from Ireland . " It ' s just a
matter of what you' re emphasizing — the
coming or the going .
9. Slight of hand
"Sleight of hand " is a common phrase in the
world of magic and illusion , because " sleight"
means the use of dexterity or cunning,
usually to deceive . On the other hand , the
noun "slight " means an insult .
10. Honed in
First, it 's important to note that this
particular expression is hotly debated . Many
references now consider " hone in" an
alteration of "home in. " That said , it is still
generally accepted that "home in" is the more
correct phrase . To home in on something
means to move toward a goal, such as "The
missile homed in on its target . "
To "hone " means to sharpen . You would say ,
"I honed my resume writing skills . " But you
would likely not say , " The missile honed in on
its target . " When followed by the preposition
"in, " the word "hone " just doesn ' t make sense .
11. Baited breath
The term "bated " is an adjective meaning
suspense. It originated from the verb "abate ,"
meaning to stop or lessen. Therefore , "to
wait with bated breath" essentially means to
hold your breath with anticipation. The verb
"bait , " on the other hand, means to taunt ,
often to taunt a predator with its prey .
A fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big
catch. Considering the meaning of the two
words, it ' s clear which is correct, but the
word "bated " is mostly obsolete today ,
leading to the ever - increasing misuse of this
expression .
12. Piece of mind
This should be "peace " of mind , meaning
calmness and tranquility . The expression
"piece of mind , " actually would suggest doling
out sections of brain .
13. Wet your appetite
This expression is more often used
incorrectly than it is used correctly — 56 % of
the time it appears online , it ' s wrong . The
correct idiom is "whet your appetite. " Whet
means to sharpen or stimulate, so to whet
your appetite would mean to awaken your
desire for something .
14. For all intensive purposes
The correct phrase should be "for all intents
and purposes. " It originates from English law
in the 1500 s that stated " to all intents ,
constructions and purposes, " which basically
means " officially" or "effectively. "
15. One in the same
One in the same would literally translate that
the "one" is inside of the same thing as itself ,
which makes no sense at all . The proper
phrase is " one and the same, " meaning the
same thing or the same person . For example ,
"When Melissa was homeschooled, her
teacher and her mother were one and the
same. "
16. Make due
When something is due, it is owed . To make
due would mean to make owed , but the
phrase to " make do " is short for "to make
something do well" or "to make something
sufficient. " When life gives you lemons, you
make do and make lemonade !
17. By in large
The phrase "by and large " was first used in
1706 to mean " in general . " It was a nautical
phrase derived from sailing terms "by " and
"large . " While it doesn ' t have a literal
meaning that makes sense, "by and large " is
the correct version of this phrase.
18. Do diligence
While it may be easy to surmise that " do
diligence" translates to doing something
diligently, it does not . "Due diligence" is a
business and legal term that means you will
investigate a person or business before
signing a contract with them , or before
formally engaging in a business deal
together . You should do your due diligence
and investigate business deals fully before
committing to them .
19. Peaked my interest
To "pique" means to arouse , so the correct
phrase here should be "piqued my interest, "
meaning that your interest was awoken . To
say that something "peaked my interest "
would mean that it looked at my interest.
20. Case and point
The correct phrase in this case is " case in
point " which derives its meaning from a
dialect of Old French. While it may not make
any logical sense today , it is a fixed idiom .
Worried that poorly functioning spell check
will make you look bad ? Run things like your
resume, blog posts and the content of
important emails through Correctica 's "Proof
it Free" tool .
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