Let’s just play it by year… Oops, I mean play it by ear.
1. “Play it by year” vs. “Play it by ear.”
Sony Pictures
You obviously weren’t using your ears when they invented this phrase. Play it by earmeans to improvise or deal with a situation as it plays out.
Correct term: “Play it by ear.”
2. “Old wise tale” vs. “Old wives’ tale.”
WB
A wise tale is sometimes wrong, but an old wives’ tale is always is an old story that is based more on legend than fact.
Correct term: “Old wives’ tale.”
3. “It’s a doggy-dog world” vs. “It’s a dog-eat-dog world.”
Columbia Pictures
No, Snoop Dogg didn’t coin this phrase, which describes merciless competition.
Correct term: “Dog-eat-dog world.”
4. “I could care less” vs. “I couldn’t care less.”
Netflix
The wrong version defeats the purpose of the correct phrase, meaning you have no fucks to give.
Correct term: “I couldn’t care less.”
5. “Lip sing” vs. “Lip sync.”
ABC
Although you do need lips to sing, lip sync is short for lip synchronization, as in moving your mouth exactly to the recorded sound.
Correct term: “Lip sync.”
6. “No pain, no game” vs. “No pain, no gain.”
E!
This one almost makes sense, but not as much sense as the true phrase, which means there is value to hard or perhaps even painful work.
Correct term: “No pain, no gain.”
7. “Up and Adam” vs. “Up and at ’em.”
We’re happy for Adam being up, but the phrase is really a shortened version of up and at them, meaning you’re alert and ready to start the day or work.
Correct term: “Up and at ’em.”
8. “Nip it in the butt” vs. “Nip it in the bud.”
Warner Bros.
No butts in this phrase, which means to put an early and quick end to something.
Correct term: “Nip it in the bud.”
9. “For all intensive purposes” vs. “For all intents and purposes.”
Nothing wrong with your purposes being intensive, but for all intents and purposes this phrase is a catchall, meaning in every practical sense.
Correct term: “For all intents and purposes.”
10. “Two peas in a pot” vs. “Two peas in a pod.”
Paramount Pictures
As delicious as potted peas sound, this phrase means that two things or people are so similar, they’re hard to tell apart.
Correct term: “Two peas in a pod.”
11. “Butt naked” vs. “Buck naked.”
Summit Entertainment
We admit “butt naked” makes so much more sense, but “butt” is wrong and “buck” is right.
Correct term: “Buck naked.”
12. “Don’t take me for granite” vs. “Don’t take me for granted.”
NBC
We promise no one will take you for granite, unless your name is Medusa. The correct phrase means “Don’t assume carelessly that something is okay.”
Correct term: “Don’t take me for granted.”
13. “Mute point” vs. “Moot point.”
Fox
If your point is mute, then no one is hearing it. The correct phrase — moot point — means something that is open to argument, or of little to no relevance.
Correct term: “Moot point.”
14. “Toilet trees” vs. “Toiletries.”
Keep our trees toilet free! Use the correct word, which means all that stuff that’s in your bathroom right now.
Correct term: “Toiletries.”
15. “Right off the back” vs. “Right off the bat.”
Back off this incorrect usage. This old baseball term means something that happened in a hurry or at the very beginning.
Correct term: “Right off the bat.”
16. “Scotch-free” vs. “Scot-free.”
ABC
We love the Scotch (especially the liquid kind), but the correct phrase is scot-free, meaning getting away with something without punishment or consequence.
Correct term: “Scot-free.”
17. “Paper view” vs. “Pay-per-view.”
Fox
Um, yeah. Do we really need to explain this?
Correct term: “Pay-per-view.”
18. “Straightened arrow” vs. “Straight and narrow.”
ABC
The arrow community may beg to differ, but the correct path for this phrase is straight and narrow, meaning honest.
Correct term: “Straight and narrow.”
19. “Statue of limitations” vs. “Statute of limitations.”
Universal Pictures
Just one letter off, but so wrong. It is set in stone that a statute of limitations is a law that limits the time frame of charging someone with a crime or civil suit.
Correct term: “Statute of limitations.”
20. “Imparticular” vs. “In particular.”
Fox
In particular, imparticular is not a word.
Correct term: “In particular.”
21. “Piece of quiet” vs. “Peace and quiet.”
Even though we all need a piece of quiet every now and then, peace and quiet is actually correct.
Correct term: “Peace and quiet.”
22. “Cease and exist” vs. “Cease and desist.”
New Line Cinema
If you don’t want something to exist, tell it to cease and desist: a legal term meaning “stop it, now.”
Correct term: “Cease and desist.”
23. “Ghost is clear” vs. “Coast is clear.”
Sony Pictures
Well, ghosts are more opaque than clear anyway. Use the clearly correct phrase, which means you are in no danger of being caught.
Correct term: “Coast is clear.”
Correct term: “Alzheimer’s disease.”
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