Non-Words: Alittle / Alot / Noone

[boomerang]

ect

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Some years ago, Cadillac had a model known as
the European Touring Coupe. The large chrome "ETC" letters on
the trunk always made it a "Cadillac Etcetera" to me.

Other GM vehicle naming goofs:

Chevy Nova (doesn't go in Spanish) - Who wants a car
whose name tells you it doesn't go?

Chevy Apache pickup trucks were not bought by other Indian
tribes in the Southwest that had fought with the Apaches.

SIA

[Ashlar]

Big post warning..

I maintain a list like this, of things that make my teeth ache when people use them:

Words / phrases that make me cringe:
They could barely make mince meat
Low self of steam
Whoa is me
He’s in tensive care
Escape goat
use to
ad homonym
I could care less
Tow the line
Taken for granite
A mute point
I did a complete 360 on the issue
Baited breath
Chomping at the bit (champing is the correct word, but it's in common usage now)
as a pose to
In one foul swoop
Butt naked (buck)
Pre-madonna
excedra
expresso
living in squabble
supposably
Irregardless
Pacifically
vice (-like) grip (Vise)
rediculous
Walla (voila) or viola
raised to the ground
Administrate
Orientate
try and (try to)
all of the sudden
spaded (spayed)
murial (mural)
Certificated
Deep seeded
Could of/ should of/ would of
A new leash on life
alot
well-healed
anyways
down the pipe (down the pike)
libary
beckon call
Febuary
for all intensive purposes
prostrate (prostate)
low and behold
awhile
contex
conjunctionitis
"up on" instead of "upon"
beyond the pail
less we forget/unless we forget/least we forget
per say
alterior motive
Here, here!
I should have did that
I should've went
Doggy Dog (for dog eat dog)
card shark (cardsharp)
blessing in the sky (blessing in disguise)
rod/rot iron
rain of terror
Another thing coming (think)
Point of you
tender hooks
contra section
conversate
hisself
noone
fixin' to
exscape
hew and cry
heart-wrenching instead of heart-rending (or worse, heart-rendering)
full proof
"to pay in the rear" instead of "to pay in arrears"
on accident (as a parallel construct to 'on purpose')
world wind (whirlwind)
hard road to hoe (row)
cut to the chase (cut through the chafe) *also in common usage now
griss for the mill (grist)
begs the question (misused, not 'wrong')
cut the mustard (muster) * also in common usage
went missing (disappeared)
sneaking suspicion (sinking)
Different than (from)
ice tea (iced)
iced cream (ice)
reign in
epitomy
gotten
flack
lynchpin
Send in the calvary!
on guard (engargde)
based off of (based on)
if and when
unless and until
obligated (obliged)
Nauseous (nauseated)
anchors away (aweigh)
meteoric rise (meteors fall)
commander and chief
Free reign
bold faced lie (bald or bare)
almost exactly
drownded
Running the Gauntlet (Gantlet) * common usage these days
Marshall law
flaunt the law (flout)
between you and I
on the lamb (lam)
in tact
pack (pact)
vocal chords (cords)

or confuse these for each other:
Decimate / obliterate
Flounder / founder
Disinterested / uninterested
Loose / lose
dilemma / quandary
to / too
Affect / Effect
weary / wary
marquis / marquee
bawling / balling
piqued / peeked / peaked
eminent / imminent
bearing / baring / barring
flair / flare
exuberant / exorbitant
lay / lie / laid / lain
discrete / discreet
its / it's
there / they're / their
your / you're
oral / verbal
Statute / Statue
threw / though
seen / scene
capitol / capital
goat / goad
good / well
sell / sale
site / sight
faze / phase
tenant / tenet
then / than
jibe / jive
less / fewer
ideal / idea
whenever / when
myriad / many
shined / shone
invite / invitation
moral / morale
weak / reek
brake / break
peddle / pedal
seen / saw
seen / scene
Conscious / conscience
succeed / Secede
imply / infer
drug / dragged
dissent / descent / decent
sleighs / slays
born / borne
compliment / complement
over / more (we've been in business for over 50 years / we've been in business for more than 50 years)
dribble / drivel
diffuse / defuse


redundancy:
Over-exaggerate
Hot Water Heater
PIN number
ATM machine
HIV virus
very unique
the hoi polloi
Fleeting glimpse
extol praise
frozen tundra
tuna fish
with au jus
"in the process of"

using an adjective instead of an adverb:
"Drive Safe" instead of "Drive Safely"
"you got here quick"
"Don't take it personal."

penultimate - does NOT mean "the last", but the one before the last.

[Abraham]

Ashlar,

The content of your list is hilarious!

I particularly like: "I did a complete 360 on the issue"

(You may want to subtract "awhile" from the list - that's how it's spelled in my dictionary)

[Abraham]

Add to the redundancy list: Free Gift

[Ashlar]

(You may want to subtract "awhile" from the list - that's how it's spelled in my dictionary)

*nod* It's not the word that's wrong, just usually the usage.

“Lend me your monkey wrench for a while” -- correct
“Lend me your monkey wrench awhile.” -- correct
“Lend me your monkey wrench for awhile.” -- incorrect

Add to the redundancy list: Free Gift

Ooh, good catch! *snagged*

[3dfxMM]

Adminstrate and orientate are also real words according to several dictionaries.

[Ashlar]

Adminstrate and orientate are also real words according to several dictionaries.

Yeah, they're real, just overused / misused. Administer and orient are much cleaner. "Business" speak makes my teeth ache.

(I remember during the dotcom boom how "brand" was used as a noun, verb, and adjective, sometimes in the same sentence. Arrgh!)

p.s. Another one that grates is "certificated"- why throw those extra syllables in when "certified" works?

[LarryH]

p.s. Another one that grates is "certificated"- why throw those extra syllables in when "certified" works?

Tell that to the FAA. Part 61 of the CFR insists on calling us "certificated flight instructors".

Maybe because we have a certificate(?)

[davidtx]

[SNIP]
"- why throw those extra syllables in when "certified" works?

Yeah, I don't understand why everyone wants to complexify things.

[G26ster]

p.s. Another one that grates is "certificated"- why throw those extra syllables in when "certified" works?

Tell that to the FAA. Part 61 of the CFR insists on calling us "certificated flight instructors".

Maybe because we have a certificate(?)

Yes, "certified" would do but the FAA chose "certificated" throughout 14 CFR Part 61 and other parts.

cer·tif·i·cat·ed, cer·tif·i·cat·ing, cer·tif·i·cates
To furnish with, testify to, or authorize by a certificate.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Another funny word usage question is "honed" vs. "homed".

"He homed in on the fugitive's location"

or "He honed in on the fugitive's location."

IIRC, "homed" is the more correct word here.

"Honed" is the past tense of sharpening a knife or cutting tool.
The hone is the abrasive whetstone used for such an act.

SIA

[SwimFan85]

inside the waste band holster

I heard of garage bands before but a garbage band is a new one.

[bdickens]

Nah, garbage bands are all over the radio these days.

[SwimFan85]

Nah, garbage bands are all over the radio these days.

What do the waste bands use the holsters for? Drum sticks and guitar picks?