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No one was born perfect when it comes to language. We say one thing when we mean entirely another. We mix up words, add endings, and pretend it’s all fine. Well, not quite.

You see, even though some phrases roll off the tip of the tongue as if they were almost identical, it doesn’t mean they are. From hunger pains to hunger pangs and sleight of hand to slight of hand, there are too many common phrases that are way more confusing than they really should be.

So this time, we’re gonna look at the most common mistakes we make when using these phrases, and hopefully, learn something that would have made our English teachers proud.

#1

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Yeah, you heard
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5 years ago

This is an Americanism. I've literally never heard anyone say it here in the UK.

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    #2

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    Aragorn II Elessar
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    “I did a 360, I’m back on my bullshit”

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    #3

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    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I've never seen the incorrect version. That's just dumb!

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    #4

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    H Edwards
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This one annoys me, seems like a typically American issue. I think it probably comes from mishearing 'it was AN accident'

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    #5

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    Dennis Michael
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    The word "buck" refers to a male native american indian. The phrase "buck naked" comes from the fact that back in the early days (pre 1900) male indians would be seen riding their horses to a river or stream to bathe or do what ever, and would be totally naked on the horse. White people would see them and thus the phrase "Buck naked" was born.

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    #6

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Finally. Thank you. AMEN. English isn't my family's first language on one side, and I've spent a lifetime explaining these things. I feel so happy I'm not alone....

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    #7

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Ever see my mom after an espresso? EXpresso ain't a bad description...

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    #8

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    Jasmine Donald
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    lol nip a butt....how does it taste?

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    #9

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    Lance d'Boyle
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    The term has nothing to do with the Scotts. It comes from old Scandinavian 'skatt fri', which means 'tax free'.

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    #10

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    Grumble O'Pug
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    who even says "extract" revenge????

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    #11

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    Maria
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Sleight of hand and twist of fate, on a bed of nails she makes me wait 🎶🎶🎶

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    #12

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    onitsuka
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I've seen people write and assume it was "pick" my interest

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    #13

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    Robert Thornburrow
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    We tend to refer to people as Expats, as expatriate sounds more like the action of doing it, as in repatriate, meaning to take someone back to their homeland.

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    #14

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    Katrina B.
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This one is misleading though because they are pronounced the same way. If you're saying them at least.

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    #15

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    Luke N
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I always thought it described an easy penning. Say of sheep. No need to herd them into the pen, just give them a shoo and they go in by themselves.

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Add us on Google

    #16

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    CLG
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Although you CAN say "give someone a piece of your mind," meaning chew them out.

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    #17

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    Robert Thornburrow
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Gets confusing when you get possessive. My brother-in-law's car is the car belonging to my brother-in-law, but what would you say for all the cars belonging to multiple brothers-in-law? My brothers-in-law's cars?

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    #18

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    H Edwards
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Wait uno momento.....

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    #19

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    Kristin Ingersoll
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    But what about Free Rain???

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    #20

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    Martha Meyer
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    A lot of people online seem to be unable to correctly use superlatives.

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    #21

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    Jasmine Donald
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    never heard the incorrect one

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    #22

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Pangs is archaic, but yes, that's the conventional usage. Frankly, I've been hungry enough to hurt. It is not a pang. It was pain.

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    #23

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    Jasmine Donald
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I think I've heard both...

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    #24

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    Jasmine Donald
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    lol, baited breath... that would be very strange...

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    #25

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    Luke N
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Actually the Lee side of a sailboat is the downwind side. Opposite of windward. Depending on the boat and its keel and the exact angle of the wind, it will crab or be pushed sideways a bit, especially when close-hauled. So you need to aim a bit to windward to allow for leeway in order to go straight. Especially important when going toward another boat or around a headland that is on a lee shore. Even more important if your boat doesn't tack well or sail to windward, eg. A square rigger caught between 2 headlands. Extra leeway is required to prevent being wrecked.

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    #26

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Do due diligence.

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    #27

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    me
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Wait, I've never seen the wrong one before, is that just me?

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    #28

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    Night Owl
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Oh! I thought it was "change track"

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    #29

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    troufaki13
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    In Greece we say "one is worse than the other" when everything is bad and you can't tell which is worse

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    #30

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    Julie C Rose
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I once got a book out the library where the editor hadn’t caught this mistake and one of the people who had the book before me crossed out “phase” and wrote “faze”.

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    #31

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    Jane Shead
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    No it doesn't. The OED says: 1. Originally in Law, of a case, issue, etc.: proposed for discussion at a moot (moot n.1 4). Later also gen.: open to argument, debatable; uncertain, doubtful; unable to be firmly resolved. Frequently in moot case, moot point.

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    #32

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    Robert Thornburrow
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This is part of the phrase "make do and mend", meaning things are used in their current state or you mend them only sufficiently to make them work, nothing is replaced by new - usually used in reference to being poor.

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    #33

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    J Rob
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    " transitive verb To sharpen (a knife, for example); hone. transitive verb To make more keen; stimulate. noun Something that whets the appetite or desire."

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    #34

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    Robert Thornburrow
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    And the hooks on a tenter are literally tenterhooks. There don't seem to be any phrases for teasels, but they are the seedheads of plant that were used to tease the wool. Together they form the coat of arms for Kendal, which is a town in Northern England which once had a thriving wool trade.

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    #35

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    ƒιѕн
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I can p**n off my tools. I can't palm off my tools.

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    #36

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    స్టీఫెన్ ఆండ్రూ
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    *foetal

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    #37

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    Danieletc
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Go Joe!

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    #38

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    #39

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    స్టీఫెన్ ఆండ్రూ
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    'Spitting image' is in the Oxford Dictionary. It's correct even if 'spit and image' is the original usage.

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    #40

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    #41

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    Leo Domitrix
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Who in the name of all that's holy ever said "Pass mustard" except at a cookout?

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    #42

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    Becca Gizmo the Squirrel
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    Never have I ever heard the wrong version.

    #43

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    #44

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    H Edwards
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    This is just a regional thing, I don't object to it so much.

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    #45

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    Emily Ducat
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    People I would like to introduce you to the google ngram search for "escape goat" https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=escape+goat&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=26&smoothing=3&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cescape%20goat%3B%2Cc0#t1%3B%2Cescape%20goat%3B%2Cc1 proving that "escape goat" appears in a disturbingly high number of published works particularly around the 2013-2014 mark the implication being that it is used a lot more widely than you might think

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    #46

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    Tami
    Community Member
    5 years ago

    I believe it's "jibe", which is also a type of turn used when sailing.

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