17 Common Phrases You’ve Been Saying Wrong For Years

Irregardless, you need to read this. posted on Sept. 25, 2014, at 6:52 p.m.

1. You should not say: I’m giving you leadway.

   

You should say: I’m giving you leeway.

For example: I’m giving you leeway to do what you want with the remaining fruit snacks in the pantry.

2. You should not say: for all intensive purposes.

   

You should say: for all intents and purposes.

For example: This mandate, for all intents and purposes, is no longer effective.

3. You should not say: beckon call.

   

You should say: beck and call.

For example: He/she/they waited on the tyrant’s beck and call.

4. You should not say: tongue-and-cheek.

   

You should say: tongue-in-cheek.

For example: Although the kids pretend that their French fries are cigarettes, it’s really just a tongue-in-cheek joke among them.

5. You should not say: wreck havoc.

   

You should say: wreak havoc.

For example: The legion Bulbasaurs wreaked havoc on the poor little Vileplumes.

6. You should not say: one in the same.

   

You should say: one and the same.

For example: You mother and father are one and the same.

7. You should not say: I could care less.

   

You should say: I couldn’t care less.

For example: I couldn’t care less about the NFL.

8. You should not say: He/she got off scotch-free.

   

You should say: He/she got off scot-free.

For example: Even though he stole 10 candy bars from the store, the officer let him off scot-free since he was just a kid.

9. You should not say: It’s a doggy-dog world.

   

You should say: It’s a dog-eat-dog world.

For example: The world of media is a dog-eat-dog world. It’s basically every man for himself.

10. You should not say: We were conversating.

   

You should say: We were conversing.

For example: Jack and I were conversing about the lack of pleasant smells in NYC.

11. You should not say: Nip it in the butt.

   

You should say: Nip it in the bud.

For example: That boring convo you’re having? Nip it in the bud.

12. You should not say: hanging on tender hooks.

   

You should say: hanging on tenterhooks.

For example: The thought of the man escaping from prison kept me and my friend on tenterhooks.

13. You should not say: Don’t take me for granite.

   

You should say: Don’t take me for granted.

For example: Don’t take your mother’s cooking for granted, especially since you’re leaving for college in a few weeks.

14. You should not say: You chock it up to ____.

   

You should say: You chalk it up to ____.

For example: He’s always in a bad mood; I’ve always chalked it up to his lack of proper communication skills.

15. You should not say: We reached a mute point.

   

You should say: We’ve reached a moot point.

For example: The king decided that the issue regarding the stolen bagels was moot because all of the townspeople involved in the dispute were no longer living.

16. You should not say: It’s an old adage.

   

You should say: It’s an adage.

For example: “It takes a village to raise a child" is one of my favorite adages.

17. You should not say: statue of limitations.

   

You should say: statute of limitations.

For example: The statute of limitations for stealing someone’s doughnut is four years.