Annoyingly misused words/phrases

[Echobelly]

I saw a listicle about 'Nepo babies' of famous people who looked just like their parents, when what they meant is 'child of a famous parent'. Not all of them were in the public eye or attempting to break into the entertainment or sports industry. Nepo baby specifically means someone using their parents' clout or connections to get a career, it doesn't mean 'child of a famous parent' and that kind of annoyed me.

Have you seen any misuses of a word or phrase that has irritated you?

'A myriad of' instead of myriad.

'Safe haven' - how many havens are unsafe? Haven is fine.

Incorrect use of reflexive pronouns in an attempt to sound more sophisticated.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

You don't need capital letters for great aunt. Only the Betty part. Same with my mum, my dad, my son John etc

Its got not gotten!

People here will tell you that gotten is an old English word.

But let's face it, most people who use it don't know that and they've just picked up on American speak from TV and the internet.

😱

The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.

Shortened then used to mean its direct opposite.

Home is where the heart is.

Misused to mean that you love being at your own house.

Dangling modifiers: Lying awake, the house creaked. (Mrs Dalloway)

I often used to see this on a forum for carers of people with dementia, but even a seriously hardened old pedant like me couldn’t get too worked up - the poor things were desperate for a ‘bite’ of ‘rest’. 😰

I don't understand how home is where the heart is could mean anything else?

Honing in on instead of homing in on
Reigns instead of reins
Off his own back rather than bat

And, this one is regional, yous instead of you when talking about a group.

I thought it meant home is where your family is. Because your Heart is with your family.

Your home is wherever you find emotional connections, not a physical structure.

...nought here reminds me of childhood’s sweet home.
Yet here’s deep affection, the wanderer to bless,
A mother’s fond welcome, a sister’s caress,—
Far dearer than cottage or proud princely dome
For home's where the heart is, and this is sweet....

I realised it was understood otherwise when a friend was talking about how unhappy she was at her parent's house because she missed her boyfriend. I said 'home is where the heart is', and she said 'My heart isn't at home; because (boyfriend) isn't there'. I'd meant that her true home was where he was.

(He was cheating on her, but never mind: it was fifty years ago.)

I've never understood, "I don't like X but I love them". Surely if you don't like someone, you wouldn't be able to love them.

I didn't like my mother because she was horrible and controlling and I certainly didn't love her.

Colloquialisms in spoken English in many regions. It wouldn't be written down like that but it would be spoken like that.

Should of, could of

Colloquialisms in spoken English in many regions. It wouldn't be written down like that but it would be spoken like that.

But it is frequently written down like that, here on MN and elsewhere.

And what people are actually saying is 'should've' but because they've never seen it written down and they don't know it's an abbreviation of 'should have' it goes down as should of.

Yes!!

It means home is anywhere you are with your most loved people, not necessarily in your house

’Between you and I’, and similar (e.g. she gave it to John and I) is one of my pet peeves.

Even worse would be e.g. ‘She gifted it to John and myself.’

Double 🤬!

Plus all misuse of myself, yourself, etc.

"Not that big of a deal" when they really mean "Not that big a deal".

We're talking to you here, Richard Osman, Every time on his podcast he says "This podcast is bought to you by ..."

Amol Rajan annoys me on University Challenge. Every time it's which building etc is named FOR instead of named AFTER.

The Baby wants the boob…

’Helping’ when a man parents his child.

‘Helping’ when a man does one housework task.

They are SEN.

Another thing coming, instead of think.

Mortified means embarrassment or shame. So mamy people use it to mean horrified!

Chester draws or even draws instead of drawers. Peter Andre’s wife posted about chester drawers and she’s an educated DR!

gifting.
as in, ‘i was gifted this book’ . surely you just mean ‘given’. or am i wrong?!

I was horrified to read that "honing in on" is becoming acceptable by dint of usage. While I accept that language isn't monolithic (looking at you, France) so many changes diminish the range of vocabulary in use.

I was picked up recently for using "disinterested" in the sense of neutral.