Three years ago Karen wrote about some “Misused Words and Phrases” but today I thought I’d add to her great list with some that I’ve found troublesome when discovered in a proposal or a book.
Penultimate
This is carelessly used to mean “the best” or “the greatest.” Penultimate means next to the last in a series or sequence. Not the best of the best. Not to be confused with the iPad app from Evernote called Penultimate. In that case it is a play on the “pen” part of the word and this writing app is supposed to be the “ultimate” writing experience on your iPad. Maybe the word will change its meaning in the English language. But for now, please use it correctly.
Bemuse
“The joke made him laugh and stare at me with bemusement.” The writer meant to write “amusement.” To be bemused is to be bewildered or confused. It is possible that my sample sentence intended to describe a character who was bewildered, but the context said otherwise. This word is beginning to change its meaning to describe “detached amusement.” (See the Merriam-Webster online dictionary definition.) If you and your friends are bemused by the change, talk amongst yourselves.
I could care less
Be sure to make this a negative because you meant to write “I couldn’t care less.” Think about that one for a second, it will reveal itself to you.
Climatic
The writer meant to write “climactic.” The above relates to climate. The correct word relates to the climax.
Wreck havoc
It is “wreak havoc.” Wreak means to cause or inflict. Like “wreak vengeance.”
Wreck (without the “a”) means to cause destruction. It is a common error because they are similar in sound and meaning. But it jumps off the page to an editor when done wrong.
Appraise
“I appraised him of the situation.” Nope. You “apprised” him of the situation. To appraise is to figure out the value of something (like the selling price of your house). Apprise means to inform.
Flaunt
When you “flaunt” you are showing off. “Flaunt your wealth.”
When you “flount” you disregard or mock.
A bad boy cannot “flaunt” the rules. He flounts the rules.
Proscribe
This means to denounce, condemn, or forbid. It does not mean to recommend. That is the word “prescribe.”
A doctor can prescribe a treatment for your illness.
A doctor can also proscribe you from doing certain activities after your knee surgery.
They mean very different things.
Irregardless
Karen included this in her list, but I thought I would expand on it a little.
Look this up in the dictionary. The definition is “regardless.” ??? It’s technically not a word.
Regard-less means to be without regard.
Ir-regard means to not have regard.
So ir-regard-less means “not-regard-without” or “regard” because the prefix and suffix cancel each other out.
Editors will scrub this one from your manuscript. But it will be found in every day language. Which means someday it might make its way as a legitimate word….after a generation or two pass by.
Your Turn:
Are there any words that you can add to the list?
Smelt versus smelled.
Is it a fish, or did you melt it down in a furnace to extract metal from it? No? It was stinky but not a fish, and you definitely didn’t melt it down in a furnace? Then you did not smelt it.
Perfect.
Overcooked fish is not a good thing…
Steve, I love these. There is a difference between everyday language as she is spoken and proper language as she should be written.
In fact, for informal speaking, I sometimes use the word antiundisirregardless – which I never have to define. But only in this context would I ever write it.
My editorial eye picked up on the typo in the second line of your treatise on “flaunt” but the fact that you spelled in correctly in the third line lets me know this is a typo only.
Typos can be a real pain in the kazzizzie (grin). I probably need not define.
Proceed–to issue. To come forth. “Not a word proceeded from her lips.”
Precede–to go before. “She preceded him into the room.”
I often read how he stepped aside so she could proceed him into the room.
Great examples, Steve. Thanks.
I just finished Kathy Ide’s book, Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors. I highly recommend it.
As a born and bred Virginian, I drive my husband crazy because I say, “I could care less” when I mean “I could not care less.” It’s something I’ve always said, and while his constant pointing out has made me more aware of the grammatical faultiness of the construction, I confess to using it deliberately in conversation at times:).
Some years ago, I was speaking with my father–an attorney–and I said, “I could not care less.”
He stopped me. “Is that the way it is supposed to be said, ‘coudn’t care less?'”
I told him it was. He was just shaking his head, “I could never figure out what people thought they meant by that phrase. The way you say it, if finally makes sense.”
Indeed. I live in VA, and don’t recall any prominence of this phrase being said incorrectly amongst adults. I’d notice.
I did notice it being said wrong amongst my sons’ friends, when they still lived at home.
Journalists: Please stop announcing that you are “efforting” to bring us a story!
Perspective and prospective
One of the most common errors, even among college-educated people, is the misuse of “effect” when used as a verb:
Effect (v): cause (something) to happen; bring about .
Affect (v): have an effect on; make a difference to:
Both are used quite often and usually correctly in scientific writing that has been reviewed before publishing. Too often in general writing I see “effect” used where “affect” should be.
I have to stop myself every time I am going to use “affect” or “effect” and make sure I use it the right way.
Given my track record on this blog with regard to typos, that means I use “affect” the correct way only about half the time!
Both can also be used as nouns. Affect is an expression. Effect is the result of something.
I meant to say that affect is an expression of emotion, just to clarify.
Grizzly for grisly, though it’s true that a grizzly can leave a grisly scene.
Phase for faze, and, yes, reading the work of writers going through this phase does faze me.
All forms of misuse of “lie” and “lay.”
All confusion between “rain,” “reign,” and “rein,” usually the latter two.
Or peak, peek, and pique.
Homonyms are particularly challenging because your spell check never sees them.
Steve, if we were talking about region specific faux pas I could think of many, but that’s a subject for another day. (For instance, when people use the word “anyways” it may be a dialect thing, but inwardly I cringe.)
I agree with Carol A, “affect” and “effect” are two of the most common blunders I see.
*And a side note of a different nature: Years ago, I sat in a long, drawn-out staff meeting. While we appreciated the intent, it was a little difficult to get past the speaker’s reminder because she said this six times (and yes, we counted. *blush*) –> “Remember, people. Be pacific in your progress notes. We must be pacific.” Of course, she meant “specific” rather than the ocean, but to this day when I remember that meeting, I still get a little bemused. OR…would that be “amused”? 🙂
Cynthia,
That is hilarious!
A new way of telling your staff to water down their opinions!
Thanks, Steve! Interesting post. I have two to add: Kill over, instead of keel over, and unkept, instead of unkempt.
A good friend of mine was telling me about a “first date” she had gone on the previous evening. When she began to describe her beau’s personality, she shared in a somewhat frustrated tone, that he was the most articulate man she had ever seen! As our conversation proceeded (and I was wondering what caused her frustration at having such a well-spoken date), I came to realize that the word she meant to use was meticulous – his precision and attention to detail was driving her crazy. It seems that opposites do indeed attract however, for they have been very happily married about twenty-five years now 🙂
I often hear even highly educated people say, “It’s a mute point,” so I wonder if that particular misuse is a regional thing. The adjective mute means silent. Moot, as in a moot point, means hypothetical, debatable, or irrelevant. They are definitely not interchangeable!
I’ve been in meetings where I wish it were a mute point. Not everything needs to be spoken aloud.
The only languages that don’t change are dead ones, but some of these words and uses give me the creeps so I hope most of them don’t become accepted.
If we make any of these errors we can always blame spellcheck.
I would like to add the phrase “the bottom line is.”I cringe when I hear it because I know we’re far from the bottom line. The speech, conversation etc. continues and I’m still trying to find what happened to the bottom line.
Love the word surgery and recovery here today. Thanks all!!
I find it irritating to hear “accept” for “except.” My grandmother bought me a copy of Edwin Newman’s “Will America Be the Death of English” aka “Strictly Speaking” when I was a little girl and I have loved vocabulary ever since.
Entitled when they mean to say titled. A book is not entitled.
Eva,
I hear that one all the time!
Grrr.
What about all the people who say and write simular instead of similar? That really grates on the nerves.
There’s an exception to all this in fiction. “Irregardless” and especially (because it is so common) “I could care less” are acceptable in dialogue – provided, of course, it suits the speaker’s background or personality.
But an interesting list. I would add two abused words: ironic and literally.
I can’t stand it when people say “irregardless.” I’ve even heard educated people say it.
“Irregardless” is NOT a word, REGARDLESS of what anyone may think.