Words that often get misused

[Datesad]

I’ll start.

Enormity.

I’ve seen this used incorrectly in books, articles etc! It doesn’t mean huge!

If anyone says “I was laying down” to my mum she always responds “Eggs or bricks?”.

@Defiantly41, I love them !

@Nohomemadecandles, I have a colleague who says this all the time. I sometimes wrack my brain thinking did I? When ? It's not helping that I'm getting old and forgetful as The Menopause strikes.

Apparently my friend's husband went for a prostrate check a couple of weeks ago. He may or may not have been lying prostate during the examination. I don't know. Same friend has an MA in English. I didn't correct her as I'm not that person. But I shrivelled up a little inside!

Loan when they mean lend, since I’ve just seen it elsewhere.

@HoollyWugger Blimey there'll be a MN thread by your neighbours about you soon, with that sort of unsociable/anti-social behaviour!

I dislike "sat" for "sitting". So where's Wally? - "He's sat in the garden"
Well no he is currently, in the present tense, sitting in it. Last week, he sat in it.

I'd not heard it before to the UK and I believe it's a regional accent thing? I've started saying it now.....it's quite catching.

Decimate. It’s only 1 in 10.

I was always taught the best way to remember which one to use, less or fewer was

Fewer chips
Less mash

I have a real concern for the word fewer in every day language though, it's on the critically endangered list for sure.

Actually, perhaps we should have some sort of list or system to protect words. Like the chap who started The Apostrophe Protection Campaign

bbc news link

Big
Little
Literally (some people have posted that they have literally died)
Amazing

Smirk. It means unpleasant offensive smile, but it's more often used as a normal smile now. Leads to irritating confusion.

As someone else said, disinterested and uninterested. I like disinterested as a word!

One for myself: getting older and also living in a non-english language country, my English is slowly deteriorating around the edges, both spelling of homophones and general grammar. It annoys me quite a bit.

Re: unconscious and subconscious. Like a pp has mentioned, the former can't only mean collapsed and not responding (in a medical sense) as we all have "unconscious biases" too. So yes, it can be used in the context of psychology.

You may find this interesting @xsquared @Gladioli23 @IloveJudgeJudy
The Grammarphobia Blog: It’s not quite “quite” anymore
www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/03/quite.html

Jealousy and envy.

Envy is when you want what someone has.

Jealousy is when you fear that someone will take what you have.

@thecatsthecats

Jealousy and envy.

Envy is when you want what someone has.

Jealousy is when you fear that someone will take what you have.

Not strictly. Jealousy is envy with added resentment as well as fearing the loss of something.

I'm envious of my friend's beautiful new kitchen. If I also felt (resentfully) that she didn't deserve deserve it and was somehow put out by it on top of that envy, it would be jealousy.

@LizzieAnt Thank you for the link

@Lonel

For a long time I thought bucolic meant something close to alcoholic.

Slight disrail but I've always thought bucolic is a horrible word. It makes me think of green pus-file swamp water for some reason 🤣.

Not quite 'literally' the opposite of what it actually means but close!

Road signs saying "advanced notice" no, it's advance. Similar with alternate/alternative.

[quote LizzieAnt]You may find this interesting @xsquared @Gladioli23 @IloveJudgeJudy
The Grammarphobia Blog: It’s not quite “quite” anymore
www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/03/quite.html[/quote]
Thank you @LizzieAnt. I guess like many words, such as "Literally", it has evolved to include another meaning because of common usage (or misusage!)

Recently I’ve noticed a lot of sneak peaks. FFS it’s peek, people, PEEK! I may be giving this more headspace than necessary.

I also hate it when interviewees start the answer to every question put to them with ‘so’.

The overuse of literally as PPs have mentioned. ‘Laughed so much, I literally died’. No, Susan, unfortunately you’re still here, boring me stupid.

I’ve noticed that some Scottish friends pronounce definitely as definAtely and I wonder if in trying to spell it that way, that is who it gets autocorrected to defiantly?

Damp squid instead of damp squib

Ugh. Today in the Sunday Times magazine an interviewee was referred to as "pedalling" her wares. Sunday Times! I despair

I always think of cheese for some reason. You can't have fewer cheese. But you can have fewer Smarties.

Not as much as friend's hubby did. Trust me on this one

@Abhannmor

Not as much as friend's hubby did. Trust me on this one

* This is a reply to Funny wonder. Bit mad out of context!

@Abhannmor I shouldn't laugh, but