Phrases or sayings that people get wrong

[catweazle]

!Quite unique'.

Something is unique or it's not. No room for degrees of uniqueness.

That one really irritates me!

(As an aside, I once saw in an auction catalogue:

"Lot 35- a pair of unique 18th century candlesticks.

Lot 36 - ditto")

[alabama1]

That one really irritates me!

(As an aside, I once saw in an auction catalogue:

"Lot 35- a pair of unique 18th century candlesticks.

Lot 36 - ditto")

I am no expert as regards candlesticks, but i am fairly sure there were more than one pair of unique candlesticks produced in the 18th century 

[sadolddeejay]

Apologies if someone has already posted this:

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[A Decent Fist]

People used to say “See you later” only when they meant “I will see you later today”. Now it’s used by all and sundry as “Bye, see you again sometime.”

I stick to the old meaning and it irritates me when I hear people from my generation using it the new way.

It's been mentioned briefly already, but the “like” virus is totally out of control. If you overhear a conversation between teens or twentysomethings, girls in particular, there will be two or more “likes” in every sentence. They don’t use “I said” and “she said”. Instead, you hear:

“So I was like, “What are you, like, doing for your, like holidays?’ And she was like, 'I think, like, we’ll maybe go back to, like, Tenerife?’ ”

(With a rising inflection at the end as if it were a question.)

Sometimes I have to put my headphones on to block it out before I scream.

[Bonker]

I was on the train the other day and I saw this guy who had headphones on and was screaming "grammar Grammar GRAMMAR".

I thought he was listening to some granny rap or sumfink. Anyway, I like say further away.

[scutty brown]

People used to say “See you later” only when they meant “I will see you later today”. Now it’s used by all and sundry as “Bye, see you again sometime.”

I stick to the old meaning and it irritates me when I hear people from my generation using it the new way.

It's been mentioned briefly already, but the “like” virus is totally out of control. If you overhear a conversation between teens or twentysomethings, girls in particular, there will be two or more “likes” in every sentence. They don’t use “I said” and “she said”. Instead, you hear:

“So I was like, “What are you, like, doing for your, like holidays?’ And she was like, 'I think, like, we’ll maybe go back to, like, Tenerife?’ ”

(With a rising inflection at the end as if it were a question.)

Sometimes I have to put my headphones on to block it out before I scream.

But that's like where the TV creates a joke meme and people believe it's like real and like adopt it.
Blame Catherine Tate (among others) and possibly Matt Lucas (in Little Britain)

[Colston36]

If you're talking of underwear, or chest of drawers, then "draw" or "draws" is arguably equally correct. The "draw" useage goes back a long time.
It's the same confusion as when people pronounce "drawing" as "drawring". To a large extent it's a regional accent issue which got standardised - presumably by Dr Johnson or one of his predecessors when they were compiling their lists of "correct" English. Though some studies of English suggest "drawr" is probably the older form.
Draw got standardised  in written form as drawer for some uses, but as draw for other uses - even though it was the same word with different uses, with the spoken versions following the written versions.
One of those occasions where trying to standardise the language actually broke it!
Would be interesting to know how Shakespeare would have said it!

Dr.Johnson did not "compile a list": it was the first proper English dictionary. Those interested can still see the building where he and his helpers did it, behind the Cheshire Cheese in Fleet street.

He was also cuttingly witty. Of one eminent playwright he said "It must have taken a deal of effort to become as we see him now: such a degree of stupidity is not in nature."

[scutty brown]

Dr.Johnson did not "compile a list": it was the first proper English dictionary. Those interested can still see the building where he and his helpers did it, behind the Cheshire Cheese in Fleet street.

He was also cuttingly witty. Of one eminent playwright he said "It must have taken a deal of effort to become as we see him now: such a degree of stupidity is not in nature."

by "behind" do you mean a bit further down that alley? What's it used for now? Or is it part of the pub now?

[superchamp]

People used to say “See you later” only when they meant “I will see you later today”. Now it’s used by all and sundry as “Bye, see you again sometime.”

I stick to the old meaning and it irritates me when I hear people from my generation using it the new way.

It's been mentioned briefly already, but the “like” virus is totally out of control. If you overhear a conversation between teens or twentysomethings, girls in particular, there will be two or more “likes” in every sentence. They don’t use “I said” and “she said”. Instead, you hear:

“So I was like, “What are you, like, doing for your, like holidays?’ And she was like, 'I think, like, we’ll maybe go back to, like, Tenerife?’ ”

(With a rising inflection at the end as if it were a question.)

Sometimes I have to put my headphones on to block it out before I scream.

You need to get out more - nobody says "see you later" anymore, they're all saying "laters" these days. 

[A Decent Fist]

You need to get out more - nobody says "see you later" anymore, they're all saying "laters" these days. 

Think that’s a bit passé, old bean. Used to hear it four or five years ago in London but not recently. I hear the incorrect use of “see you later” all the time when visiting family oop north. In fact my family are the main culprits.

PS: I can't bear seeing “anymore” as one word. It's two words in the UK. The Yanks use both versions in different contexts.

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[mr.bluesky]

You need to get out more - nobody says "see you later" anymore, they're all saying "laters" these days. 

I still use "see you later alligator" and expect the reply " after a while crocodile "
 

[NotTooOld4It]

Shakespeare used "gotten".

It's a word the Pilgrim Fathers took to America, but which is now seldom used in Britain.

[NotTooOld4It]

This one really annoys me....

"Can you borrow me a pen?"

"Can you borrow me a fiver"?

I can lend you a pen. I can lend you a fiver!

On the other side of thatis 'can I lend a pen?'

[NotTooOld4It]

!Quite unique'.

Something is unique or it's not. No room for degrees of uniqueness.

That's one that makes me fume in particular.

[NotTooOld4It]

"Odds bodkins" methinks!

Egad!

[NotTooOld4It]

I'm getting more and more anxious about all these posts.
Are we going to sit a written examination at the end?
I'm going for a lie down.

Are you sure it's not 'a lay down'?

[NotTooOld4It]

People used to say “See you later” only when they meant “I will see you later today”. Now it’s used by all and sundry as “Bye, see you again sometime.”

I stick to the old meaning and it irritates me when I hear people from my generation using it the new way.

It's been mentioned briefly already, but the “like” virus is totally out of control. If you overhear a conversation between teens or twentysomethings, girls in particular, there will be two or more “likes” in every sentence. They don’t use “I said” and “she said”. Instead, you hear:

“So I was like, “What are you, like, doing for your, like holidays?’ And she was like, 'I think, like, we’ll maybe go back to, like, Tenerife?’ ”

(With a rising inflection at the end as if it were a question.)

Sometimes I have to put my headphones on to block it out before I scream.

Blame the writers of 'Cheers', and 'Friends' for that.

[NotTooOld4It]

Think that’s a bit passé, old bean. Used to hear it four or five years ago in London but not recently. I hear the incorrect use of “see you later” all the time when visiting family oop north. In fact my family are the main culprits.

PS: I can't bear seeing “anymore” as one word. It's two words in the UK. The Yanks use both versions in different contexts.

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'Everyday' instead of 'every day' is another of those.

[fudi_maar]

People used to say “See you later” only when they meant “I will see you later today”. Now it’s used by all and sundry as “Bye, see you again sometime.”

I stick to the old meaning and it irritates me when I hear people from my generation using it the new way.

It's been mentioned briefly already, but the “like” virus is totally out of control. If you overhear a conversation between teens or twentysomethings, girls in particular, there will be two or more “likes” in every sentence. They don’t use “I said” and “she said”. Instead, you hear:

“So I was like, “What are you, like, doing for your, like holidays?’ And she was like, 'I think, like, we’ll maybe go back to, like, Tenerife?’ ”

(With a rising inflection at the end as if it were a question.)

Sometimes I have to put my headphones on to block it out before I scream.

I 'like' that one. :-)

[Bonker]

Are you sure it's not 'a lay down'?

'To lay' is a transitive verb.

[alabama1]

I still use "see you later alligator" and expect the reply " after a while crocodile "
 

You fucked that up ! It's 'In a while crocodile'.

[mr.bluesky]

I always say  "after a while crocodile" 
Looking at some of the other replies crikey there are some fussy people on here   

[timsussex]

I'm with Alabama
see-you -later
All-i-gator

 In-a- while
 Croc-o-dile

scans so much better

however I see Bill Hailey disagrees
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[I like natural boobs]

I'm with Alabama
see-you -later
All-i-gator

 In-a- while
 Croc-o-dile

scans so much better

however I see Bill Hailey disagrees
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I found that surprising because 'in a while crocodile' would actually work better for that song.

[I like natural boobs]

I sometimes wonder if I use the saying "Gordon Bennett" correctly. Should it only be used when you're annoyed? I say it when I'm having a great time. While receiving a ball licking from Rebecca at Athena Massage in Sheffield I said "Gordon Bennett!". It made her laugh. Being foreign I thought she probably doesn't know what it means so I told her that I said it because it felt amazing. Actually though I think it's a saying that most people would use when they're angry.

[timsussex]

I found that surprising because 'in a while crocodile' would actually work better for that song.

Indeed he has to almostdrop the er and  sings Aft_er a while

[catweazle]

I sometimes wonder if I use the saying "Gordon Bennett" correctly. Should it only be used when you're annoyed? I say it when I'm having a great time. While receiving a ball licking from Rebecca at Athena Massage in Sheffield I said "Gordon Bennett!". It made her laugh. Being foreign I thought she probably doesn't know what it means so I told her that I said it because it felt amazing. Actually though I think it's a saying that most people would use when they're angry.

According to Wikipedia:

Gordon Bennett" is an English-language idiomatic phrase used to express surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, frustration or exasperation.

[mr.bluesky]

According to Wikipedia:

And this is where it supposedly originated from



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[scutty brown]

"Gordon Bennett" comes from this guy:  External Link/Members Only

He was a newspaper publisher with a scandalous lifestyle and a good eye to getting publicity. One of his stunts was sending Stanley to find Dr Livingstone in Africa. Another was backing the original IOM TT races.

One of his most notorious incidents was when drunk, mistaking the fireplace in his fiance's parent's dining room for a urinal.........

[Colston36]

I'm sure most of us have on occasion used a phrase or saying out of context and seemingly some of them are so often mis-quoted that the majority of people get them wrong genuinely thinking that they are right.

So what commonly used phrases or saying have you picked up on that people get so wrong and do any of them in particular "get your goat" 

Someone who is good at cards is often referred to as a "Card Shark" but the actual saying is "Card Sharp"

The one that pisses me of is when people say "One trick pony" when the real saying is "One trip pony" 

Currently popular is "dynamic" meaning God alone knows what.

[catweazle]

"Gordon Bennett" comes from this guy:  External Link/Members Only

He was a newspaper publisher with a scandalous lifestyle and a good eye to getting publicity. One of his stunts was sending Stanley to find Dr Livingstone in Africa. Another was backing the original IOM TT races.

One of his most notorious incidents was when drunk, mistaking the fireplace in his fiance's parent's dining room for a urinal.........

Apparently he would call reporters into the office and give them outrageous stories to cover ( like the Stanley/Livingstone search,).  Said reporters would exit his office in a controlled rage, and when asked ' what's wrong?' they would reply "Gordon Bennett!" which was enough to explain the anger.

[Munter84]

Wikipedia suggests Gordon Bennett may be "a minced oath, perhaps a euphemistic substitution for gorblimey", and this is what I always assumed the case is.

A bit like how "fuck" can be salvaged into "for Christs sake" which is further santitsed to "for cying out loud"... almost complete conjecture (and may not even work in some regional dialects), but that's my tuppence anyway.

A minced oath I've only started hearing in the last decade or so is "shut the front door" which tickled me the first time.

[advent2016]

Often people misinterpret

The word niggardly was used in a couple of TV shows one from the 60s and anotehr 2000s and a number of people complained to Offcom who said they should look up the answer in a dictionary like

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