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?

This.
Why aren't people getting this? 🤔

I’m amazed at how many people aren’t understanding it. I mean, pretty much ANYTHING would be cheap at half the price wouldn’t it?

My current bugbear is 'commonplace'. It doesn't mean the same as 'common' but people use it as if it did.

You’re amazed at us not getting your point that cheap at half the price doesn’t make sense and yet you need to be prepared to be even more amazed when you find out that IS the correct phrase. Explanation here:

www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/cheap-at-half-the-price.html

I've heard many people refer to holidays as half term when they're technically not but I've never heard or read a single person refer to the summer holidays as half term

Its brought and bought for me and lose and loose...drives me nuts.

"Doo", as in "hen doo" or "stag doo" makes me itch so badly!

For those who think staycation is wrong.

I also opened the thread to say staycation.

I also agree with draws not drawers (basic spelling for goodness sake!), should of/could of etc.

I'm also starting to get annoyed with the way people use the term mysogyny/mysogynist. It seems to apply to any minor example of what we used to term every day sexism. This might be an age thing but I feel that labelling everything mysogynist risks weakening the meaning of the word.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staycation

Kate Middleton.

She’s been married YEARS. And taken her husband’s name.

I’d be well annoyed if someone continued to use my maiden name when I’ve taken my husband’s.

Heard a professor on Radio 4 mixing these up only half an hour ago.

In this case the dictionary is wrong 🤣

I'm astonished by the number of intelligent people (including colleagues who really should know better) who confuse incidence, incidents and instances.

I've noticed lots of people on social media say exspecially. Drives me mad !

Discrete, when they mean ‘discreet’. The meanings are quite different.

It's difficult to under-estimate when they mean over-estimate, ofc

And strangely: elevate when alleviate is what is meant

'It was our 6 month anniversary...' no it wasn't! Seriously guys, the clue is in the word 'anni' meaning once a year. Drives me INSANE!!!

Sorry, not RTFT, but 'All be it" instead of albeit.

The misuse of oxymoron, usually they mixing it up with paradox.

I read a book recently where someone wrote discrete make-up. I didn't really think that made sense, but then google said discrete can mean distinct or different. And make-up can be that, so maybe its correct. I suspect the author meant discreet though.

Itch vs scratch.

The action is scratching. Something might be itchy or have an itch.

But you don't itch an itch.

Infact, alot, abit, aswell. There are more.

A colleague of mine was once describing an awkward encounter and said “it couldn’t of went any wronger”. The urge to scream was very strong!

Yes! This drives me insane.

I strongly suspect that you are right.

If that was in a book, an editor should have picked it up, but I’m afraid editors are not what they were.