Common mistakes or misnomers

[knotweed]

VIN number

People who say their diet is 100% plant-based and then eat mushrooms

[cuprabob]

Breaking vs Braking

[2 GKC]

Literally

Of instead of have

Daily

Timepiece

[Doofus]

cuprabob said:

Breaking vs Braking

Peddles.

[Super Sonic]

'regularly' instead of 'frequently'

[rayny]

Our CEO and some of our customers did not seem to know the difference between manor and manner.

Alt English =
Are CEO an sum off are custmers did knot seam to now the diffrence between manor an manner.

[FerrousOxide]

motco said:

...in green ballpoint on a sheet torn from a spiral helical bound shorthand pad?

Keep up.

Louis Balfour said:

OMITN said:

Another convenient identifier of idiots: confusing infer and imply.

It isn't though, is it.

No, he's right. It is.

Personal bug-bears of mine are "undertaking" instead of "overtaking on the inside", "practice" and "practise" used interchangeably, and ditto for "licence and license" (Olivia Rodrigo got a stiff letter from me on that one).

ETA Oxford commas are fine, obviously...

[Alex_225]

m3cs said:

Pacifically

This! Winds me right up. Got a woman in a department at work, acts like she's in charge of everything and uses this instead of specifically and it highlights what a cretin she is!

Also misuse of the word done. "I done this". No it's did, you did something.

[twing]

Have we had V.I.N. Number yet?

[TwigtheWonderkid]

Super Sonic said:

matchmaker said:

"My head literally exploded". Er, no, it didn't!

This one literally deserves a thread of its own.

Language evolves, and if something is used incorrectly often enough, it becomes correct by default. There are loads of examples of this, "decimate" to name one.

The OED now lists, as one definition of literally, as purely an expression of emphasis. As well as listing the original meaning.

So "literally laughing my head off" is now officially fine.

[lord trumpton]

As dull as 'dishwater' instead of ditchwater

[Doofus]

FerrousOxide said:

motco said:

...in green ballpoint on a sheet torn from a spiral helical bound shorthand pad?

Keep up.

Louis Balfour said:

OMITN said:

Another convenient identifier of idiots: confusing infer and imply.

It isn't though, is it.

No, he's right. It is.

Personal bug-bears of mine are "undertaking" instead of "overtaking on the inside", "practice" and "practise" used interchangeably, and ditto for "licence and license" (Olivia Rodrigo got a stiff letter from me on that one).

ETA Oxford commas are fine, obviously...

Bugbear is one word.

[Bobupndown]

The used car dealers favourite "highly sort after model"

[The spinner of plates]

“Hey, where’s the hoover?”

In my mind I reply “sorry, do you mean the Shark upright vacuum cleaner?”

But I never want to get between a chore I don’t want to do and someone who’s in the mood to do it, so I just say “Hey! In the spare room I think”.

[FerrousOxide]

Doofus said:

Bugbear is one word.

Hung by my own petard.

I know my use of English is full of errors and I've never said that I'm not a hypocrite (I make spelling mistakes far worse than those which irritate me in others). Won't get bugbear wrong again, though....

[GIYess]

"He drives a 'jeep."
Nope it's a Kia Sorrento.

[anonymous-user]

PAT Testing
MOT Test
Gas pedal
Put toast in the toaster
Im going to boil the kettle
Run a bath
One off

[OMITN]

Louis Balfour said:

OMITN said:

Another convenient identifier of idiots: confusing infer and imply.

It isn't though, is it.

My take on what you’ve written is that you’re suggesting you don’t know the difference….

[Mandat]

Mr Spoon said:

MOT Test

On a point of order, what is the problem with Ministry of Transport Test?

[Trenchard]

FerrousOxide said:

Hung by my own petard.

I know my use of English is full of errors and I've never said that I'm not a hypocrite (I make spelling mistakes far worse than those which irritate me in others). Won't get bugbear wrong again, though....

It's "Hoist with his own petard" (Shakespeare, Hamlet). A petard was an explosive device that would 'hoist' you, i.e. blow you into the air. It wasn't used by executioners, who hanged people.