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?

Already mentioned, but "I don't suit green" No - green doesn't suit you.

Also, "I don't take a good photo".

Only correct if you are a crap photographer.

Well OBVIOUSLY it would be a bargain at half the price if it's already a bargain at full price.
If it's still a bargain at DOUBLE or TWICE the price, that's when the real, true value of it is shown.
I feel wires are crossing a lot with this one, and we are all missing each others points.

When I first got together with my husband I had to correct the 'haitch' out of him, I mean he said 'haitch' instead of 'aitch' ... 😂

Myself instead of I or me.

Examples “please email the report to myself” when it should be please email the report to me. “Myself and my husband went to the shops” when it should be “my husband and I”

people seem to think it’s a more formal way of saying me or I and it just isn’t. Drives me nuts

Also " she was named for her Great Aunt Betty".
No.
"Named after her Great Aunt Betty".

But the entire phrase is "if you think that, then you have another think coming. What you thought is wrong so you need to think again.

Everyday used to mean ‘daily’ rather than mundane.
If it happens daily it is two separate words.

All be it instead of albeit.
Them instead of those.
Gender instead of sex.
Half term instead of end of term.
Borrow me instead of lend me.
My friend and myself, or me and yourself - just why?
And the one that really sets my teeth on edge, I have a work colleague who insists on referring to her child as ‘the littl’un’.

Intentional

Specific to my part of London perhaps but the misuse of ‘were’ and ‘was’. Even heard a secondary school teacher saying ‘Was you?’ when a child told them they had been ill. We was, you was etc.
And not strictly misuse of words and phrases but the elimination of words in sentences. ‘Go Vegas’ instead of ‘Go to Las Vegas’ ‘Go Tesco’ instead of ‘Go to Tesco’

It really irritates me!!

I really don’t understand the ‘think’ argument. Surely in that context it would be ‘you will have another thought coming’?

Don't you ever have a think about something? Another think coming is a similar usage. Colloquial sayings don't have to be grammatically correct.

'What should we do about xxxx?'
'Not sure, I'll go away and have a think about it.'

But think isn’t a noun, it’s a verb. You think a thought, you don’t think a think.

You do. People go away to have a think about things all the time.

’ I was sat/stood’. No you were not!!! You were sitting/standing.

My XH always used to say he'd brought something when he meant bought.

I saw Lone behold used instead of Lo and behold.

Using went instead of gone. Very prevalent in Scotland - "I should have went" or even worse, "I should of went"

This!

it's usually said as sarcasm- as the item being referred to is expensive.

it is correct

But think isn’t a noun, it’s a verb.

Evidence and medal are nouns not verbs, but I frequently see them used as verbs in official contexts. So I think 'think' can be used as a noun in a colloquial saying.

So fun

OED has think as a noun since the 1830s.

I’m annoyed at the amount of times people can include the word “like” in a sentence when being interviewed. They wouldn’t include it in a written answer.

Ball balls instead of baubles 🤣

Brought instead of bought 🤦‍♂️

When my daughter was little she got annoyed with me for saying that her shoes were "getting too small for her". She declared "they are not getting smaller, I am getting bigger!" And it's true. Why do we say it that way around?

I am seeing Great Full (instead of grateful) frequently on social media. It doesn't even make sense. Grateful is full of gratitude, not full of greatness.

Tow the line being used instead of toe the line.

Decimate gets used incorrectly a lot, to mean "completely destroyed" rather than "reduced by 10%".

Momentarily means FOR a moment, not IN a moment.
eg the doctor will see you momentarily - why, is she busy?

I think "cheap at half the price" was originally used as a sort of sleight of hand. Market traders enticing customers in by using the word "cheap" but not actually saying their products were cheap, so not being dishonest.

For some reason it annoys me when people say o instead of 0. I have to ask for phone numbers regularly and o765…… winds me up !