Expressions People Misuse

[Seldon2639]

As I sit here, having watched an old episode of Scrubs (back before it became a show all about Zach Braff acting like a complete idiot, but being inexplicably popular), and I heard the expression "I'm the exception that proves the rule" used. I cringed, I almost ground my teeth.

It's not "the exception that proves the rule", it's "the exception that proofs the rule" the exception doesn't show the rule to be true (proving) the exception tests the validity of the rule (proofing). Similarly, the proof is not in the pudding, the proof (again, test) of the pudding is in the eating.

I'm not going to get pedantic here (or I'll try not to), since many of the errors Strunk and White cite in their various writings are actually more about their peevish objection to the passive tense than anything else (and the entire argument against split infinitives is simply pretentious). Still, when one hears "begs the question" used as "leads me to another question", it makes me want to tear my hair out.

What about you folks? Any misused idioms that make you particularly batty?

 

[Resurrectionist]

It's a Farce.
Part of the style is to take a well known idiom and intentionally twist and misuse it,
in order to pluck a brain string. And think "that's not right."
Apparently it worked.
Old as the Greeks.
Shakespeare was a master of doing exactly that.

I can do without the word "brilliant"

 

[dumpus555]

"Per se." It gets butchered like a hot chick in a Jason movie.
Also the word "fallacy" gets used to describe anything that is not factual when it actually describes a fault in logic.

 

[Resurrectionist]

"Per se." It gets butchered like a hot chick in a Jason movie.
Also the word fallacy gets used to describe anything that is not factual when it actually describes a fault in logic.

Ye olde Per Se Cliché. Brilliant.

Beginning to laugh.
Must navigate away from thread........................

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

"that was ironic" 9 out of 10 times when someone says somthing is ironic it's actually a coincidence

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

"Per se." It gets butchered like a hot chick in a Jason movie.
Also the word "fallacy" gets used to describe anything that is not factual when it actually describes a fault in logic.

One of the many definitions of the word "fallacy" is "a misconception resulting from incorrect reasoning". I rarely use the word in that exact context and instead normally use it when pointing out a misuse of rhetoric.

 

[Lexodus]

Okay, so this might be a bit of a thread necro, but firstly 'I could care less'- surely that means you care then? If, however, you couldn't care less...
Secondly, this is just an expression that bugs me- 'still waters run deep'. Surely still waters shouldn't run at all? Somebody please explain.

 

[Hateren47]

Okay, so this might be a bit of a thread necro, but firstly 'I could care less'- surely that means you care then? If, however, you couldn't care less...
Secondly, this is just an expression that bugs me- 'still waters run deep'. Surely still waters shouldn't run at all? Somebody please explain.

It's worded backwards. Deep wide parts of a river are calmer than the shallow narrow parts. It's like saying "you can't have you cake and eat it too" when "you can't eat your cake and have it too" would make more sense.

 

[Irridium]

"Thats ironic"

In fact, just the word "Irony" and any form of it. Its so misunderstood its just sad. Most people who misunderstand it don't even know they're misusing it. Hell chances are you misuse it, are reading this, and thinking your one of the few who uses it correctly. Thereby giving you confidence to use it more and make other people misunderstand it. Its truly sad.

Some things that aren't ironic:

It is not the same as coincidence - If a ginger person finds that the only drinks left at a party are cans of ginger beer and ginger ale, this is not ironic. If anything, this is the opposite of irony. If there is a convention of ginger hair haters and the only drink available is ginger beer or ginger ale, this may be considered ironic, but it's a long shot.

Nor is it bad luck - If a president is killed by someone accidently discharging their weapon, this is bad luck. If they are killed by someone discharging their weapon in celebration of that president being elected, that is ironic.

If something is appropriate, it is not ironic. - If you see a grossly obese person tucking into a kebab, this is not ironic. It is exactly what you expect them to be doing. If you see a fat person deciding to give their heart a break for once and instead of going to KFC, they cross the road to get to the salad bar and are then run down by a truck transporting diet pills which, this is ironic.

If in doubt, just don't use it. It's better to stay quiet, because you're bound to get it wrong. And then your effort to look intelligent will only end up making you look like a bona fide simpleton. Aah, the irony.

And yes I did just pull all that off of Cracked.com
And no its not ironic.

 

[Snake Plissken]

Watch a creationist video. They butcher ideas all too often.

 

[VanityGirl]

Also, not one minds that you necro'd a thread, it's actually refreshing to see a necro'd thread every now and again.

"Why don't you make like a tree and get the fuck out of here"

I believe that was misused by a certain barkeep, but I could be mistaken.

 

[Irridium]

Also, not one minds that you necro'd a thread, it's actually refreshing to see a necro'd thread every now and again.

"Why don't you make like a tree and get the fuck out of here"

I believe that was misused by a certain barkeep, but I could be mistaken.

I thought it was used in a movie or something, and just spread from there.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Blatantly used interchangeably with obviously. Something might be blatantly obvious but the fucking impotant word is obviously obvious and you are a blatant dolt.

 

[Trifixion]

It's not really an idiom, but I'd really like to punch every single person who uses the non-word "irregardless" in my presence.

 

[Lexodus]

Okay, so this might be a bit of a thread necro, but firstly 'I could care less'- surely that means you care then? If, however, you couldn't care less...
Secondly, this is just an expression that bugs me- 'still waters run deep'. Surely still waters shouldn't run at all? Somebody please explain.

It's worded backwards. Deep wide parts of a river are calmer than the shallow narrow parts. It's like saying "you can't have you cake and eat it too" when "you can't eat your cake and have it too" would make more sense.

Okay. Now that's cleared up, wtf is it supposed to mean anyway?

 

[Lexodus]

It's not really an idiom, but I'd really like to punch every single person who uses the non-word "irregardless" in my presence.

Somebody said that to me the other day and I couldn't for the life of me work out which viewpoint they wanted to take. Is it regardless or not regardless? I am confus.

 

[Hateren47]

I forgot to add that. It's supposed to mean that quiet people can be very thoughtful.

Also, Ricky from Trailer Park Boys is an expert at this.

 

[Woodsey]

"I could care less."

Oh you poor, poor morons. People have really let you say that all of your life and not corrected you?

 

[Flames66]

"I could care less" Gets me going. Also if I ask someone if they mind not doing something and they respond with "no", I will quite probably scream in their face "Well If you Don't Mind then Don't Do it!!"