this post was submitted on 29 Jan 2025
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Please state in which country your phrase tends to be used, what the phrase is, and what it should be.

Example:

In America, recently came across "back-petal", instead of back-pedal. Also, still hearing "for all intensive purposes" instead of "for all intents and purposes".

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[–] TempermentalAnomaly@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

Having made some of these mistakes, I tend not to be rigid about them. But here are some fun ones.

  • on line vs in line
  • to graduate vs to be graduated
  • antivenom vs antivenin

All of the above have been normalized, but at one time was not.

Another quirk, we used to not call former Presidents President So and So. We used to call them by their highest position before president. So it would be Senator Obama and not President Obama.

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[–] Usernameblankface@lemmy.world 9 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

In American English:

I left them know

I'm just leaving you know

No, no, a thousand times no!

You LET them know. You're just LETTING me know.

Also, they were driving and hit the breaks. Their car needed new break pads.

Just letting y'all know, it's BRAKES that stop a vehicle.

If the vehicle breaks, it'll stop, but that's not the system built into the car that makes it stop on purpose at the press of a pedal.

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[–] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.cafe 8 points 3 weeks ago (6 children)

I know someone that says 'Pacific' instead of 'specific'. The man has his talents & his place in the world, food man, but yes that is infuriating.

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[–] Kagu@lemmy.ml 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

"that begs the question". I wish people would just use the more correct "raises the question", especially people doing educational/academic content. I hear it across the English-speaking internet

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[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 7 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

They're, you're

Sneak peek

In portuguese: mas/mais - people often use "mais" (plus, sum) when the correct would be mas (but)

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[–] Today@lemmy.world 7 points 3 weeks ago

"If" with nothing before it after it. If you'll call me back... That means nothing! If you call me then we can talk. I would appreciate it if you would call me back.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 7 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)
  • literally. There's the door.
  • 'emails'. Like 'traffics'. Learn why.
  • 'startup' vs 'start up' (see shutdown and so many others)
  • irregardless. Just follow the 'litchally' clod out.
  • 'the ask' for 'the request' or 'the question'. Because life imitates a used car dealership. See 'the spend', 'action this', and whatever cocaine and flop-sweat gives us tomorrow. Go sell a car.
  • 'unless....' NO. Finish the Sentence.
  • when 'could've' became 'could of' and no one laughed their ass off at the guy, this was our missed opportunity.

Bonus: my friends are parents of elementary-school children. 'Skibidi' is one of so many words they researched carefully to make sure and screw up its usage as often as they can. It's a game, and I think they secretly keep score of eye-rolls earned. They're doing hero's work.

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[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 7 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

"Its"

As "its" is used to indicate possession by "it", "its" is an exception to apostrophe-s construction as used to indicate possessive forms.

"It's", used as either the contractive form or the possessive form, does not require such an exception. The distinction between the contractive and possessive forms of "it's" rarely/never introduces ambiguity; the distinction is clear from context.

The word "its" should be deprecated.

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[–] hushable@lemmy.world 6 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

As a non native speaker, it really irks me when people mix up "brake" and "breake", specially among car enthusiasts.

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Haha is this a follow up on that one post with the OP writing "back-petal"?

[–] NutinButNet@hilariouschaos.com 6 points 3 weeks ago (10 children)

Using “women” for the singular use. I don’t understand how this happens because it couldn’t be more clear if you sound out the word.

Woman = 1 person

Women = 2 or more persons

Why everyone resorts to only using “women” baffles me.

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