What phrases really bug you?

/ Language /

I know that the English language is ever evolving (though I try in my own way to keep it from evolving into incoherency), but there are some popular phrases that just make my skin crawl. I hereby vow to never use these in any form, written or spoken:

  • Across the pond
  • Pout – to describe lips in general, not an actual pout
  • Wow factor
  • Culture vulture

Here are words and phrases that bug me because they’re actually incorrect:

  • All intensive purposes (should be “intents and purposes”)
  • “Incidences” to mean “incidents” (“incidence” is actually a technical word which is not pluralized)
  • “Awe” as an alternate spelling of “aw” (I mean, it’s an entirely different word!).
  • “Comprised of”, but I’ve talked about that one before.
  • “Should of”, “would of”, etc.
  • “Penultimate” to mean “the most ultimate” (it actually means “next to last” – very far from the way it’s commonly used, which is a shame because it’s a great word).
  • “Reoccuring”

Posted in Language.

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