{"id":113827,"date":"2015-05-05T06:02:36","date_gmt":"2015-05-05T06:02:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4cd.e16.myftpupload.com\/?p=113827"},"modified":"2015-05-05T06:05:39","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T06:05:39","slug":"20-commonly-misused-phrases-and-how-to-use-them-correctly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2015\/05\/20-commonly-misused-phrases-and-how-to-use-them-correctly\/","title":{"rendered":"20 commonly misused phrases (and how to use them correctly)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When you hear someone using grammar incorrectly do you make an assumption about his or her intelligence or education?<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no doubt that words are powerful things that can leave a lasting impression on those with whom you interact.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, using an idiom incorrectly or screwing up your grammar is akin to walking into a meeting with messy hair.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s according to Byron Reese, CEO of the venture-backed internet startup Knowingly.<\/p>\n<p>The company recently launched\u00a0Correctica, a tool that scans websites looking for errors that spell checkers miss.<\/p>\n<p>And the business world is no exception. \u201cWhen I look for these errors on LinkedIn profiles, they\u2019re all over the place\u2014tens of thousands,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Correctica recently scanned a handful of prominent websites and you might be surprised at how many errors it found.<\/p>\n<p>Here is Reese\u2019s list of the some of the most commonly misused phrases on the Web.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Prostrate cancer<\/strong><\/p>\n<aside class=\"right-rail-module rr-outbrain\" data-name=\"rr-outbrain\">\n<div id=\"outbrain_widget_0\" class=\"OUTBRAIN\" data-src=\"http:\/\/time.com\/3843977\/commonly-misused-phrases-corrections\/\" data-widget-id=\"SB_2\" data-ob-template=\"timemag\" data-ob-mark=\"true\" data-browser=\"chrome\" data-os=\"win32\" data-dynload=\"\">\n<div class=\"ob_strip_container SB_2\">\n<div class=\"ob_container\">\n<div class=\"ob_container_recs\">\n<div class=\"item-container ob-recIdx-0   \">\n<div class=\"ob-text-content\">\n<div class=\"strip-rec-link-source ob-lcolor\">It\u2019s an easy misspelling to make\u2013just add an extra <em>r<\/em> and \u201cprostate cancer\u201d becomes \u201cprostrate cancer,\u201d which suggests \u201ca cancer of lying face-down on the ground.\u201d Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Mayo Clinic websites include this misspelling.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p><strong>2. First-come, first-serve<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This suggests that the first person to arrive has to serve all who follow. The actual phrase is \u201cfirst-come, first-served,\u201d to indicate that the participants will be served in the order in which they arrive. Both Harvard and Yale got this one wrong.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Sneak peak<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A \u201cpeak\u201d is a mountain top. A \u201cpeek\u201d is a quick look. The correct expression is \u201csneak peek,\u201d meaning a secret or early look at something. This error appeared on Oxford University\u2019s site as well as that of the National Park Service.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Deep-seeded<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This should be \u201cdeep-seated,\u201d to indicate that something is firmly established. Though \u201cdeep-seeded\u201d might seem to make sense, indicating that something is planted deep in the ground, this is not the correct expression. Correctica found this error on the\u00a0<em>Washington Post<\/em> and the White House websites.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. Extract revenge<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To \u201cextract\u201d something is to remove it, like a tooth. The correct expression is \u201cexact revenge,\u201d meaning to achieve revenge. Both <em>The New York Times<\/em> and the BBC have made this error.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. I could care less<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI couldn\u2019t care less\u201d is what you would say to express maximum apathy toward a situation. Basically you\u2019re saying, \u201cIt\u2019s impossible for me to care less about this because I have no more care to give. I\u2019ve run out of care.\u201d Using the incorrect \u201cI could care less\u201d indicates that \u201cI still have care left to give\u2013would you like some?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Shoe-in<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cShoo-in\u201d is a common idiom that means a sure winner. To \u201cshoo\u201d 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 20th century, relating to horse racing, and broadened to politics soon after. It\u2019s easy to see why the \u201cshoe-in\u201d version is so common, as it suggests 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 \u201cfoot in the door\u201d is an entirely different idiom.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Emigrated to<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With this one there is no debate. The verb \u201cemigrate\u201d is always used with the preposition \u201cfrom,\u201d whereas immigrate is always used with the preposition \u201cto.\u201d To emigrate is to come from somewhere, and to immigrate is to go to somewhere. \u201cJimmy emigrated from Ireland to the United States\u201d means the same thing as \u201cJimmy immigrated to the United States from Ireland.\u201d It\u2019s just a matter of what you\u2019re emphasizing\u2013the coming or the going.<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-ad-3843977\" class=\"content-ad\"><strong>9. Slight of hand<\/strong><\/div>\n<p>\u201cSleight of hand\u201d is a common phrase in the world of magic and illusion, because \u201csleight\u201d means dexterity or cunning, usually to deceive. On the other hand, as a noun, a \u201cslight\u201d is an insult.<\/p>\n<p><strong>10. Honed in<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, it\u2019s important to note that this particular expression is hotly debated. Many references now consider \u201chone in\u201d an proper alternate version of \u201chome in.\u201d That said, it is still generally accepted that \u201chome in\u201d is the more correct phrase. To home in on something means to move toward a goal, such as \u201cThe missile homed in on its target.\u201d To \u201chone\u201d means to sharpen. You would say, \u201cI honed my r\u00e9sum\u00e9 writing skills.\u201d But you would likely not say, \u201cThe missile honed in on its target.\u201d When followed by the preposition \u201cin,\u201d the word \u201chone\u201d just doesn\u2019t make sense.<\/p>\n<p><strong>11. Baited breath<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The term \u201cbated\u201d is an adjective meaning suspense. It originated from the verb \u201cabate,\u201d meaning to stop or lessen. Therefore, \u201cto wait with bated breath\u201d essentially means to hold your breath with anticipation. The verb \u201cbait,\u201d 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\u2019s clear which is correct, but the word \u201cbated\u201d is mostly obsolete today, leading to ever-increasing mistakes in this expression.<\/p>\n<p><strong>12. Piece of mind<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This should be \u201cpeace\u201d of mind, meaning calmness and tranquility. The expression \u201cpiece of mind\u201d actually would suggest doling out sections of brain.<\/p>\n<p><strong>13. Wet your appetite<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This expression is more often used incorrectly than correctly\u201356 percent of the time it appears online, it\u2019s wrong. The correct idiom is \u201cwhet your appetite.\u201d \u201cWhet\u201d means to sharpen or stimulate, so to \u201cwhet your appetite\u201d means to awaken your desire for something.<\/p>\n<p><strong>14. For all intensive purposes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The correct phrase is \u201cfor all intents and purposes.\u201d It originates from English law dating back to the 1500s, which used the phrase \u201cto all intents, constructions, and purposes\u201d to mean \u201cofficially\u201d or \u201ceffectively.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>15. One in the same<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne in the same\u201d would literally mean that the \u201cone\u201d is inside the same thing as itself, which makes no sense at all. The proper phrase is \u201cone and the same,\u201d meaning the same thing or the same person. For example, \u201cWhen Melissa was home schooled, her teacher and her mother were one and the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>16. Make due<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>When something is due, it is owed. To \u201cmake due\u201d would mean to \u201cmake owed,\u201d but the phrase to \u201cmake do\u201d is short for \u201cto make something do well\u201d or \u201cto make something sufficient.\u201d When life gives you lemons, you make do and make lemonade.<\/p>\n<p><strong>17. By in large<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The phrase \u201cby and large\u201d was first used in 1706 to mean \u201cin general.\u201d It was a nautical phrase derived from the sailing terms \u201cby\u201d and \u201clarge.\u201d While it doesn\u2019t have a literal meaning that makes sense, \u201cby and large\u201d is the correct version of this phrase.<\/p>\n<p><strong>18. Do diligence<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While it may be easy to surmise that \u201cdo diligence\u201d translates to doing something diligently, it does not. \u201cDue diligence\u201d 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>19. Peaked my interest<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>To \u201cpique\u201d means to arouse, so the correct phrase here is \u201cpiqued my interest,\u201d meaning that my interest was awakened. To say that something \u201cpeaked my interest\u201d might suggest that my interest was taken to the highest possible level, but this is not what the idiom is meant to convey.<\/p>\n<p><strong>20. Case and point<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The correct phrase in this case is \u201ccase in point,\u201d which derives its meaning from a dialect of Old French. While it may not make any logical sense today, it is a fixed idiom.<\/p>\n<p>Worried that poorly functioning spell checkers will make you look bad? Run things like your r\u00e9sum\u00e9, blog posts and the content of important emails through Correctica\u2019s \u201cProof It Free\u201d tool.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Source: Time.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When you hear someone using grammar incorrectly do you make an assumption about his or her intelligence or education? There\u2019s no doubt that words are powerful things that can leave a lasting impression on those with whom you interact. In fact, using an idiom incorrectly or screwing up your grammar is akin to walking into [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":113828,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[38,16],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>20 commonly misused phrases (and how to use them correctly) - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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