Tidbits Corrects Some Misused Words & Phrases

You’ve probably been using common words and phrases incorrectly all your life and not even been aware of it. If that's your case, you belong to a unique group of people called everybody. This week, Tidbits is armed with a dictionary and a knuckle-rapping ruler and takes on the role of Grammar Police. Prepare to get set straight on some expressions that many of us misuse in our everyday verbal and written communications. So read on, shape up - and learn!

• The next time you tell a friend that you just thought of something you “should of” done, hopefully you’ll remember that the correct way to say it is, “I should HAVE done that.” And be sure you don’t say, “I have something I’m suppose to do today.” It’s SUPPOSED to be said differently! If you continue talking to that friend, you’re not “conversating,” you’re “conversing.”

• Step up to the coffee bar and order an “expresso,” and you won’t be ordering coffee! The correct term, “espresso,” has its origins in the Italian language, from their word for “pressed out,” referring to the process of making coffee under steam pressure. One of the first espresso machines was patented in 1901, and could make a cup of coffee in about 45 seconds.

• If you’re going on vacation, and your friend asks you to bring him back a “momento,” what he really means is a “memento,” which is a keepsake or souvenir. There’s no such English word as “momento.”

• Lots of folks don’t know the difference between “affect” and “effect.” If something affects you, it might upset you, move you, touch you emotionally, or distress you. In other words, it may have an effect on you, in the form of consequences, influence, or outcome. “Affect” is a verb, and in most cases, “effect” is a noun. However, to further confuse the issue, “effect” can also be a verb, when it means something that causes, provokes, or brings about a result. Got that?

• Now and then in a written communication, you might see the words, “It didn’t even phase me.” What the writer is really trying to convey is, “It didn’t even faze me,” meaning something didn’t discourage or surprise the writer at all.

• How many times have you heard someone say, “I could care less about that”? That means the person is actually saying he or she could care less. If one is really at the lowest level of caring about something, he or she should really say, “I couldn’t care less about that!”

• Has something exciting grabbed your attention lately? Perhaps you think that it “peaked your interest.” The appropriate phrase is “piqued your interest.” The word “pique” means to cause a feeling of interest or curiosity.

• Do you know the difference between “regardless” and irregardless”? How about this: The difference is that one is a word, and the other one isn’t! The word “regardless” means “without regard.” Adding the “ir” at the beginning simply makes it a double negative, giving “irregardless” the clumsy meaning of “without-without regard.” Some argue that “irregardless” is indeed a word, with the same meaning as “regardless.” So some dictionaries have even given “irregardless” an entry because its continued misuse has become so common. This technically makes it an official word, even though its use is considered incorrect and “nonstandard.”

• If someone refers to something as being a moot point, it might mean that it’s unimportant, not worth talking about, or inconsequential. Or it might be a question that no one will ever be able to answer. However, if that person calls it a mute point, it’s incorrect usage. “Mute” means “silent,” and it rhymes with “cute.” “Moot” rhymes with boot, and means it does not apply to the situation being discussed. • If you have a good friend who is available to help you out at any time, he or she is at your “beck and call,” not “beck on call,” a phrase that is frequently misused. And if you did something you didn’t mean to do, it was “by” accident, not “on” accident.

• Let’s set the record straight on the word “there” and its homophones. The word “there” indicates a place, such as, “It’s over there.” The word “their” signifies possession, for example, “That is their house.” “They’re” is a contraction of the words “they are,” as seen in the sentence, “They’re on their way.”

• Perhaps an acquaintance has asked you to “borrow him some money.” You should say no to this request, but if you are so inclined to grant him some cash, tell him you could LOAN him some money! We borrow from, but loan to.

You borrow money from someone, but loan money to someone.

• When it comes to revenge, there’s a difference between “extracting” and “exacting.” The word “extract” means to remove out of something else. If you say you are “extracting your revenge” on someone, you are taking out that person’s revenge, whereas if you “exact revenge” on them, you’re taking your revenge out on them.

• When you give someone complete freedom to do as he or she pleases, you are giving “free rein,” not “free reign,” as is used by some. “Free rein” is a reference to horseback riding, when the rider holds the reins loosely, allowing the horse freedom of direction, the opposite of keeping a tight rein. “Reign” can mean to rule as a monarch, such as Queen Elizabeth, who reigns over the United Kingdom. It can also mean to dominate or control, such as a winning team “reigning supreme” in the NFL.

• The maximum amount of time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated is known as the statute of limitations. You’d be surprised by how many folks think it’s a statue of limitations! When the period of time passes, the courts no longer have jurisdiction and a claim may no longer be filed. Those crimes that are considered heinous, such as murder, have no statute of limitations.

It's a statute of limitations, not a statue!

• If you ask your friend how his son performed at the school track meet, and he answers, “He did good,” sorry to say, his grammar is incorrect. His correct response should be, “He did well,” or “He did a good job.” The word “well” is an adverb, a word that modifies verbs, while “good” is an adjective, used to modify nouns. However, if you want to maintain that father's friendship, it might be best for you not to say anything except, “I'm so glad to hear that!”

• There is a bit of confusion about “your” and “you’re.” Your is a possessive adjective used to show it belongs to you. You might tell a friend, “Here is your portion.” You’re is a contraction of “you are.” You could tell your significant other, “You’re the best thing in my life.” When someone thanks you, it is incorrect to write, “Your welcome.” It is always “you’re welcome!”

• Now that you've been instructed in the proper usage of these words and phrases, Tidbits hopes you will put them into practice. If we’re not successful, at least we tried!