Topic: Phrases that people get wrong

[Sangria]

Giving someone free reign. It sounds like it makes sense, but it's wrong.

[The Gulleysucker]

Giving someone free reign. It sounds like it makes sense, but it's wrong.

It is if it's been spelt reign, however not if it's been spelt rein.

Free rein is from horse riding and means to ride with slack reins, the reins being the leather straps that the rider holds and that attach to the bit in the horses mouth. Free reins implies allowing the horse to do its own thing in the direction it takes, as opposed to tight reins, ie the rider controlling the direction by applying pressure through the reins to the bit to turn the horses head in the direction you want it to go.

So to give someone free rein implies allowing them to do whatever they please.

[redgriffin73]

Think I've put this in the 'things that annoy me' thread but everyone is suddenly saying "it's not that big of a deal" or "he's not that good of a player" etc when you don't need the "of" - it drives me up the wall.

Edit - and also the increase in people getting "his" and "he's" mixed up (both spoken and written) is fucking annoying. Is that due to autocorrect or just plain stupidity?

[TepidT2O]

‘To curry favour’....

The curry refers to a curry comb for a horse, so brushing a horse... But brushing favour?  Well originally, it was currying Fauvel... this was a horse in a medieval French poem...

To this is perhaps the all time best phrase that people have got wrong..

[bahrainexpat]

One that pisses me off is one foul swoop instead of one fell swoop.

[lfcgeez]

Heard yesterday.. "it just disappeared into the ethos"

[S]

Has "on route" instead of "en route" been mentioned?

[afc tukrish]

"Irregardless..." my all time favorite...

[Raul!]

"Don't get so high rate."

That's just a lie.

[redgriffin73]

Just seen someone on Facebook offer people a "pre-warning" about something. Isn't that just a warning? Or is it something that comes before the actual warning?!

[Broad Spectrum]

"Irregardless..." my all time favorite...

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/StJ-OK4jiSY" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/StJ-OK4jiSY</a>

[vladis voice]

A fairly experienced and pretty well paid programme manager in my team constantly peppers reports with the term 'working progress' when referring to incomplete project deliverables

[Alan_X]

"Irregardless..." my all time favorite...

I will use it irregardless of what you think of it.

[afc tukrish]

I will use it irregardless of what you think of it.

My thoughts are a working progress...

[Hazell]

It is if it's been spelt reign, however not if it's been spelt rein.

Free rein is from horse riding and means to ride with slack reins, the reins being the leather straps that the rider holds and that attach to the bit in the horses mouth. Free reins implies allowing the horse to do its own thing in the direction it takes, as opposed to tight reins, ie the rider controlling the direction by applying pressure through the reins to the bit to turn the horses head in the direction you want it to go.

So to give someone free rein implies allowing them to do whatever they please.

Speaking of horses, 'chomping at the bit' instead of 'champing at the bit' is one I always take great delight in correcting. (Although I think 'chomping' is acceptable grammatically, I wish it wasn't)

[Alan_X]

My thoughts are a working progress...

It's a word that works when you need to add a bit of emphasis. What's your position on flammable and inflammable?

[redbyrdz]

Plural's.

[Alan_X]

Attorney Generals instead of Attorneys General

[redbyrdz]

A leaflet in work: "This service is rechargeable".

[Claire.]

Plural's.

😫

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I'm going to the ASDA.

There's no "the" in there   

[BlackandWhitePaul]

I'm going to the ASDA.

There's no "the" in there   

I'm logging off now, I'll come back next week when you's have calmed down.

[afc tukrish]

It's a word that works when you need to add a bit of emphasis. What's your position on flammable and inflammable?

Does irregardless have Latinate origins?

Inflammable is confusing as fuck, but the root inflammare at least gives the word an understandable origin for incorporation into English.

Inflammable doesn't come across as a more intense version of flammable, which appears to be your rationale for support of irregardless instead of regardless. Or am I misinterpreting?

[Alan_X]

Does irregardless have Latinate origins?

Inflammable is confusing as fuck, but the root inflammare at least gives the word an understandable origin for incorporation into English.

Inflammable doesn't come across as a more intense version of flammable, which appears to be your rationale for support of irregardless instead of regardless. Or am I misinterpreting?

No - it's just one of those interesting anomalies of English that irregardless is considered superfluous but inflammable and flammable are both acceptable.

[afc tukrish]

No - it's just one of those interesting anomalies of English that irregardless is considered superfluous but inflammable and flammable are both acceptable.

Is it possible to be a language of anomalies? If so, English definitely qualifies...

[Nessy76]

Attorney Generals instead of Attorneys General

That's niche. I mean, you're right, but how often does that come up?

No - it's just one of those interesting anomalies of English that irregardless is considered superfluous but inflammable and flammable are both acceptable.

True, although as I understand it, "inflammable" has its own root (inflammare), where "irregardless" is a made-up portmanteau of "irrespective" and "regardless".

[Medellin]

Dave Allen is one of my favourite comedians,not fussed on his sketches but his stand up was brilliant.
He said one which he heard as a boy at a funeral which he carried with him for years after.

"in the name of the father the son and the holy ghost" he thought at the funeral was 'in the name of the father the son and into the hole he goes'.

[Mumm-Ra]

Has "on route" instead of "en route" been mentioned?

Similarly, 'in mass' instead of 'en masse'

'the proof is in the pudding'

[Jake]

What's your position on flammable and inflammable?

Inflammable means flammable?! What a country!

[Maggie May]

Inflammable means flammable?! What a country!

I know.  Its based on pig ignorance of the original meaning - same as the Canine Defence League had to rename itself The Dogs Trust on account of confusion between teeth and bow wows. 

[Antoine Lavoisier]

I'm sure "I could care less" has been mentioned in thread but fuck me, I still want to punch every tit who says it.

[gray19lfc]

"Literally"

The amount of people I hear misusing this every day is ridiculous.  Heard this one last week: "I'm literally drowning in shit here".  I wished they were at the time.

[BlackandWhitePaul]

Here's a phrase Mike Ashley doesn't seem to understand, "sling your hook fatty"     

[13th man]

Why do some people insist on saying arks instead of ask. Can I arks you to be more Pacific, what crips you want? 

[McrRed]

Why do some people insist on saying arks instead of ask. Can I arks you to be more Pacific, what crips you want? 

There may be other derivations but that's a black thing for me,  influenced by patois.

[M7 Heckler]

up until the age of 18-19 my wife thought "son-of-a-bitch" was actually Sulliver Bitch. 

[thisyearisouryear]

Using 'neck to neck' instead of 'neck and neck' to refer to a close contest.

[Dench57]

i've just seen someone refer to themself as a rebel rouser

[Wigwamdelbert]

i've just seen someone refer to themself as a rebel rouser

He's welcome to her, personally I'd let her sleep

[telekon]

Attorney Generals instead of Attorneys General

Shouldn't it be Attorney's General?