I was recently introduced to Professor Paul Brians' web site at Washington State University (WSU). I know I've made many mistakes like these over the years, and would like to think that I have learned from those mistakes. Would that I could have learned them, then, without having to go through those experiences.
So, with a sense of gratitude for what I've been taught and learned so far, and in hopes that it might afford a Soylentil a chance to avoid a red-face-inducing faux pas, I offer you examples of some Common Errors in English Usage:
People send me quite a few word confusions which don't seem worth writing up but which are nevertheless entertaining or interesting. I simply list a number of these below for your amusement. Many of them are discussed on the Eggcorn Database site.
Note: if you don't find what you're looking for below, please be aware that this is only a supplementary page to a much more extensive site that begins here.
NOTE: This is a greatly thinned list of examples from the linked page and has been reformatted for use here. Ellipses ([...]) between entries are implied.
What was said | What was meant |
---|---|
ad homonym | ad hominem |
aerobic numbers | Arabic numbers |
ashfault | asphalt |
Cadillac converter | catalytic converter |
circus sized | circumcised |
deformation of character | defamation of character |
flamingo dancer | flamenco dancer |
four-stair heating | forced-air heating |
gentile manners | genteel manners |
glaucomole | glaucoma |
gorilla warfare | guerilla warfare |
Heineken remover | Heimlich maneuver |
immaculate degeneration | macular degeneration |
in sink | in synch |
ivy tower | ivory tower |
misconscrew | misconstrue |
muncho man | macho man |
parody of virtue | paragon of virtue |
piece of mind | peace of mind |
pot-bellied politics | pork-barrel politics |
shock ways | shockwaves |
techknowledgy | technology |
two sense worth | two cents' worth |
tyrannical yolk | tyrannical yoke |
very close veins | varicose veins |
windshield factor | wind chill factor |
What are your favorites — either from this list — or from elsewhere?
(Score: 1) by Inspired on Friday October 11 2019, @03:05PM (2 children)
"Old-timers disease" instead of "Alzheimer's disease"
"I could care less" instead of "I couldn't care less"
"A whole nother thing" instead of "A whole other thing"
"I axed him" instead of "I asked him", (unless you're an a axe murderer!).
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Friday October 11 2019, @03:08PM
ALL-topsey instead of Autopsy.
(a postmortem examination to discover the cause of death or the extent of disease.)
The lower I set my standards the more accomplishments I have.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday October 11 2019, @06:36PM
These are not correct!
"A whole 'nother" as in "a whole another thing". Originally, "Wholy another thing."
Dialect difference. "Axed him" is spelled "asked him", it is just pronounced "axe" by speakers of certain American dialects.
But then, I could not possibly carelessly be concerned about it.
Weird Al's take on words. [youtube.com]