Remember that list of commonly misspelled expressions I shared last week? Well, here are a few more to add to your notes. I know, sometimes it seems like there are way too many of these to keep track of. Anyway, while you’re working on your novel for NaNoWriMo or any other writing projects, it may be worth keeping a long list of these expressions as a reference. You never know when you might find yourself second-guessing the spelling of an idiom, right?
So for further reference, here are 12 more expressions you may have misheard and/or written incorrectly. Enjoy!
1) Beck and call: indicates being constantly ready to obey someone’s orders immediately. Write “beck and call”, not “beckon call”.
2) By and large: an alternative expression for “on the whole” or “everything considered”. Write “by and large”, not “by in large” nor “buy and large”.
3) Curb your appetite: to restrain or keep your appetite in check. Write “curb your appetite”, not “curve your appetite”.
4) Foolproof: describes something that is incapable of going wrong or being misused. Write “foolproof”, not “full proof”.
5) In this day and age: an alternative expression for “at the present time” or “in the modern age”. Write “in this day and age”, not “in this day in age”.
6) Leeway: indicates the available amount of freedom to move or act or a margin of safety. Write “leeway”, not “leadway”.
7) Nitpicking: denotes looking for small insignificant errors or faults, usually in order to criticize unnecessarily. Write “nitpicking”, not “knitpicking”.
8) No holds barred: indicates that no rules or restrictions apply in a dispute or conflict. Write “no holds barred”, not “no holes barred”.
9) Rank and file: an expression of military origin referring to the ordinary members of an organization as opposed to its leaders. Write “rank and file”, not “ranking file”.
10) Sneak peek: describes a special preview of something before it becomes generally available. Write “sneak peek”, not “sneak peak”.
11) Vice versa: a Latin phrase denoting that a statement remains true when the objects are switched. Write “vice versa”, not “vice a versa”.
12) With all due respect: a polite expression used to mitigate the effect of a disagreement or criticism. Write “with all due respect”, not “with all do respect”.
What are your thoughts on these expressions and idioms? Any others you would add to this list?
I remember hearing someone say, “It’s a doggy dog world,” instead of dog eat dog. But that could be an enunciation problem as well.
That’s a good one! I’ve definitely heard people use “doggy dog world” too. I’ll have to make a note of it for a future list. Thanks for reading! 🙂
Oh no! More of these =) nitpicking is probably the one I confuse the most in this list.
Haha, these darn expressions are so tricky! I know I’ve gotten “beck and call” wrong more than once, and now I can’t read “by and large” without remembering Buy n Large from WALL-E! Thanks for reading! 🙂