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Friday, June 12, 2015

Espresso or Expresso?


Espresso, of course!

This very common mispronunciation is a little pet peeve of mine.
And I just have to smile when people unknowingly do it,
including The Mister. :)

When I recently saw a list of common phrases that people
often say incorrectly, it was there! source
The first phrase is incorrect and the second one is the
proper way to say it.


1.  Nip it in the butt vs.  Nip it in the bud.  It means to put an end to something before it has a chance to start or grow.

2.  I could care less vs. I couldn't care less.  It means you do not care at all about the particular topic at hand.

3.  One in the same vs. One and the same.  It means that two things are the same.

4.  You've got another thing coming vs. You've got another think coming.  The   incorrect phrase actually makes sense and is very commonly used.  The correct phrase makes more sense if used in it's entirety, which is, "And if that is what you think, you've got another think coming."

5.  Each one worse than the next vs. Each on worse than the last.  No explanation needed, right?

6.  On accident vs. By accident.  You can do something on purpose but not on accident.
  
7.  Statue of limitations vs. Statute of limitations.  This clip from Seinfeld explains it best...

  8.   For all intensive purposes vs. For all intents and purposes.  The       correct phrase means that you are covering all possibilities and circumstances.

  9.  He did good vs. He did well.  Well is an adverb.  Good is an adjective.  The dog runs well.  He is a good dog.  

10.  Extract revenge vs. Exact revenge.  Extract means suck out like extracting venom from a snake bite.  Exact means to dish it out.

11.  Old Timer's Disease vs. Alzheimer's Disease.  Really? I've never heard anyone say this one. ha.

12.  I'm giving you leadway vs. I'm giving you leeway.  Leadway is not a word.  Leeway is giving extra space and freedom.


Part 2 tomorrow!
Are you guilty of any of these common mistakes?
I am guilty of #4 and #8!

67 comments:

  1. "Expresso" is a pet peeve of mine, as is "I could care less."

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    Replies
    1. Me, too! :...both of those drive me crazy!

      Delete
    2. Another one is when someone writes "free reign" but should have written "free rein."

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    3. Not rain? ha.

      This list was how people say phrases incorrectly instead of spelling/writing them.

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    4. We get a lot of "free rain" in the Mother Country. Ha!

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    5. and each one is worst than the last?

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    6. Yeah, I knew your list was about misspoken phrases... but "free reign" still bothers me! :)

      Delete
  2. Yay me- I knew all of these except I do use number 4 wrong..I don't think I have ever heard it said correctly. Hmm. It will probably never come up again, but if it does I wonder who will look at me funny and say that doesn't sound right!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I felt the same about #4. Never have I heard it said correctly!

      Delete
  3. wow, I have never had an espresso or ordered one or even read it on a sign, I never knew!!!I live under a rock, lol,
    me,,, under a rock,, I live,,
    I say many things incorrectly , mostly I say sentences backwards though or I use the wrong word completely, my kids think its very funny, like a game
    but since my head in jury I'm just thankful to be speaking again,,,

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, you my dear laurie, have a good excuse! The rest of us are just ignorantly running our mouths...lol....

      Delete
  4. Oh Lord....I'm guilty of #2. I know the correct way to say it, but say it wrong every time. One of my pet peeves is for a word to be spelled wrong on purpose. For instance, The Korner Store instead of Corner Store. By the way, missed you yesterday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. #2 is very common...in fact, I hear it said incorrectly 99% of the time!

      I'm with you on the misspellings....I hate that 'cute' kind of stuff!

      Yesterday...worked an auction all day, then had the big kids over for dinner....and then went to bed early! Whew!

      Delete
  5. 11 and 10 I've never heard said like that
    Maybe the hillbillies say it where they're at
    I say thing for four
    Thing sounds better than a think tour
    espresso I use just fine
    Not that on them I dine

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree with number 4
      and it makes sense to me for sure!
      And you just called Jax a hillbilly.
      She's going to think you're silly!

      Delete
    2. lol hillbilly she can be
      old timers disease is only diapers ad brittle bones you see lol

      Delete
  6. Omg I am SO guilty of many of these...including Old Timers disease!!!

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    Replies
    1. #10? Say it isn't so!
      Pat will laugh at you with a ho ho ho.....

      Delete
  7. When I started blogging years back I found that I was not listening nor writing the English language correctly. When I would write and visualize the words that I was using I was appalled at how many mistakes I was making. My parents were very sloppy in their speaking so I really had stuff stuck in my brain that was incorrect. I really like this first part of your blog and will look forward to the next edition. ( addition......Not!!!!}

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. haha...yes, I will have an addition to this edition!

      I do agree that many times we hear something for years and it is embedded into our thinking and those habits are very hard to break!

      Delete
  8. I find this hilarious because I'm the one that causes all of you to be "Peeved"......I say most of those wrong...but then I have a "hearing problem" Tee Hee. Sometimes hearing aids gives you all kinds of excuses....Could I please have an "expresso".....HaHa. (Sorry, that was mean)

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    Replies
    1. Expresso actually kind of makes sense, doesn't it? I mean, you drink that strong cup of coffee and your body is expresso-ed for sure! haha.

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    2. I was truly amazed how many times I have heard those expressions ....done the wrong way. Good thing I usually ask for a Latte. HaHa.

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    3. Yes, I think we are all guilty of a few!

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  9. I hear the Old Timers disease all the time. Drives me crazy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No kidding? That one is new to me and SO wrong. lol.....

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  10. Number one cracked me up, as did No. 11, which I cannot believe anyone uses . . . lo

    I must be fairly literate because the only one I fall down on sometimes is No. 4

    Loved the video clip . . lol . . . looking forward to part 2.
    A post on the difference between Brit words and phrases and USA's might be interesting . . . lol . . :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do believe I witnessed you saying expresso just this week! (jim's cafe?) lol....

      A post on the difference between our languages? You could do an entire blog of it and post daily! ha.

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    2. Hmm . . . guilty as charged !! . . . had forgotten that . . . must be Old Timer's disease . . . rofl

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    3. You better nip that in the butt....er...um...bud!

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    4. It always pussles me why the the Americans use "z" instead of "s" in the majority of words. I'm confuzed! I uzed to think I could spell English, but with these changez, it makes it crasy. :)

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    5. I'm surprised you don't say Ezprezzo!

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    6. Ha! You better let me order at Jimz or they won't know what to serve you!

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    7. . . . . and 'whot' about all thoze missing 'u' letters . . . and Betsy I think we should make an exception here . . . this guy needs to be nipped in the butt . . . lol

      Delete
  11. A new shop opened in our town recently, and from the sign above the window we know it is run by non-British people. It reads "Green Grocery". I think they mean "Greengrocer".

    ReplyDelete
  12. Don't get me started! I have too many pet peeves to mention, but I have rarely heard "think" - I have always heard "thing."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess most of us were saying it incorrectly!

      Delete
  13. My daughter had trouble in school with her spelling. I paid for an English tutor thinking it might help.
    The tutor decided it was the difference in hearing my husband's southern accent, and my English accent, a phonetic difference that caused her to muddled up when it came to spelling.
    One of my neighbor's calls landscaping mulch "munch", I can't help but smile when she says it's time to freshen the landscaping with a couple more scoops of "munch".
    We bad....
    ~Jo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that is TOO FUNNY. How can you not laugh out loud?

      One of our neighbors calls votive candles botive candles. I know my eyes got wide the first time I heard it and I have to bite my lip the next time. haha...

      I can see how your daughter would have had trouble! She heard two extremely different pronunciations!

      Delete
  14. In my area, I hear #11 all of the time. I work with a lady who says prolly instead of probably. She even spells it that way in her emails......*sigh*

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. giggling..... especially that she spells it that way, too! I know a few people that say 'libary' for library. ha.

      Delete
  15. Very few people pronounce the first "d" in Wednesday. And we can always tell a non-native of Toronto because they pronounce every syllable, whereas we say "Trono." lol

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    Replies
    1. I have never heard 'Trono' :) February is another word we get lazy with.

      Delete
  16. I'm guilty of a couple of these, but the rest of them I say correctly. My father used to always order "expresso." I corrected him once and he got annoyed with me. He still called it that though.

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  17. Hi Betsy - I've read .. and completely agree ... I think I'll leave off commenting! Cheers Hilary

    ReplyDelete
  18. Love it. Stuff like this both amuses and irritates me. One that crops up in parts of the UK is: "Couldn't of..." instead of using the verb 'have' - eg "I couldn't of hit him 'cos I was having my revenge extracted." Great post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, that one happens here, too! Would of....could of....

      Delete
  19. I am guilty of this one. Thanks for the clarification.
    "Well is an adverb. Good is an adjective."

    ReplyDelete
  20. The real problem is how some of us have a tendency to slur our words, leaving our children and those with hearing impairments to guess what was actually said.
    My mom in law, bless her heart, has referred to "Old timer's disease" knowing full well that she's giving the definition rather than the name.
    And unless one is a dog, he is probably not really going to "nip it in the butt." At least I hope not!
    PS. I have to admit, I am guilty of a few on your list.
    :0)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sometimes though, I really "could" care less.
      And please don't "axe" anything, I'd much prefer to be asked than "axed."

      Delete
    2. Exactly....we hear it wrong and then it comes out that way when we talk or write it.

      I agree about the dog...lol....mailmen are probably the only ones that experience this. ha.

      The axe one drives me crazy! It's on the second half of the lift I'll post tonight. Although they spell it aks.

      Delete
  21. I kind of like "Old Timer's Disease" :-)

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  22. I'm good with this list and look forward to the next. I say expresso, how embarrassing! I will aim to change.

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  23. Espresso it is..I hear it every time someone says it the other way. Makes me wonder though..what do I say wrong and never notice. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we all have a few we don't hear correctly!

      Delete
  24. These are very entertaining. Since we moved to Wisconsin I have noticed people use the word "acrossed"... as in " they lived acrossed from our house". It drives me crazy. Oh well, I thought it was espresso too until I saw it written on a menu!

    ReplyDelete

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