15+ Phrases Everyone Always Gets Wrong

When someone is being framed for another person’s mistakes, you might refer to them as an “escape goat.” This isn’t quite right. The correct word is actually “scapegoat.” It originates from the religious idea of placing your sins upon a goat before sacrificing it as a symbol for removing wrongdoing.

Saying "I could care less" when you mean that you don’t care at all is a mistake. If you think about it carefully, saying “I could care less” means that you do care because it’s possible for you to care even less. The correct version of this common saying would be "I couldn't care less," meaning you don't care at all.

You might have heard this phrase and simply repeated it the way it sounds; however, "doggy dog world" doesn't make much sense when you think about it. The correct phrase is actually "dog-eat-dog world," which basically means that the world is highly competitive and it’s everyone for themselves.

This one’s more of a grammatical mistake. “Could have" is the correct phrase to indicate that something was possible. For example, you could have gone to the party, but you didn’t. “Could of" doesn't make sense, but it’s an easy error to make – “could have" is often shortened to “could’ve” which is phonically indistinguishable from "could of." The same goes for “would’ve” and “would of.”

If you're naked, your butt is probably exposed, so it makes total sense why so many people end up saying “butt naked.” The original phrase, however, is "buck naked" if you’re describing someone who’s fully naked. The origin of the phrase isn’t certain, but “buck” could have been a negative historical term for Native Americans, who were often portrayed as naked in popular culture.

Admittedly, neither "by in large" nor "by and large" makes sense. However, “by and large” is the correct expression if you want a different way of saying “on the whole” or “overall.” This phrase potentially originated as a 17th-century sailing term when seamen were trying to steer their ships.

You might casually say you’re “doing a 360” when trying to explain that you’re going in a completely different direction. However, if you really think about it, this isn’t right. Traveling 360 degrees in a circle would leave you right back at where you started. The correct expression is “do a 180.” Turning 180 degrees will take you far away into the opposite direction, if that’s your intention.

Many people incorrectly say, "for all intents and purposes" because it sounds phonetically similar to "for all intents and purposes," so we understand where this mistake comes from. “For all intensive purposes” does almost make sense, as it means your purposes are intense and focused. However, the correct usage of the phrase is actually "for all intents and purposes," which means "in a practical sense."

If you’re trying to tell someone you’re on the way, you might quickly text them to say you’re “on route.” Unfortunately, this isn’t quite right. This spelling error is likely caused by the phonetics of the correct term, which is “en route.” “En route” is taken from French, to mean that you’re on or along the way.

The last thing you'd want to hear in life is "first-come, first-serve." People might say this to mean that the quickest person to arrive is rewarded, but the correct phrase is actually “first-come, first-served.” That way, the first person is served, rather than being the one who must act as a server to everyone else!

Saying you’ll “wet your appetite” before a meal just doesn’t make any sense. One’s appetite cannot be wet, but it can be “whet.” Therefore, the phrase you're looking for is "whet your appetite." You might not hear it often, but “whet” is an antiquated word that means “stimulate.”

This is more of a spelling error, like “on route,” but it’s a common mistake nonetheless. Instead of saying you’re waiting for something with “baited breath,” you should actually say “bated breath.” The former refers to being teased with bait (which does kind of make sense in its own way), but the latter means to reduce the intensity of something, meaning that you're waiting with restraint.

If you have a foot in the door for a job, or any other opportunity, you might say that you’re a "shoe-in" for it. Well, this phrase isn’t quite right, even though it might make sense in your head. In fact, the right phrase is "shoo-in," which means something easily ushered in.

We're not sure what it means for a hook to be described as tender, so that’s a sure sign that saying “on tender hooks” is wrong. If you’re waiting anxiously for something, the correct phrase to say is that you’re "on tenterhooks." Tenterhooks were traditionally the hooks used to stretch fabric across a frame (called a “tenter”), which left the fabric stretched and fragile.

If you let someone take control of a situation, you might say you’re giving them “free reign.” This suggests that they’ll reign like a monarch, which kind of makes sense, but is incorrect. The correct expression is actually “free rein,” as in reining a horse. It means to loosen a horse’s reins, allowing the horse – or the person in question – to determine their own path.

Although “unphased” sounds exactly like “unfazed,” only the latter phrase is correct. The word "faze" means to disturb. So, if you're unfazed by something, it means you’re not bothered by it and it’s not causing you any trouble. On the other hand, “unphased” means unstructured or something that isn’t sorted in a chronological way.

It might seem reasonable to say that you're preparing for a "worse-case scenario," a situation that’s worse than your situation right now. However, what you probably mean to say is that you’re preparing for a "worst-case scenario.” This correct phrase refers to a final point at which things are insurmountably bad.

If you’re feeling peckish, you might say that you’re having “hunger pains.” It is in fact possible to experience pain related to hunger, but that’s probably not the dramatic statement you were aiming for. The correct phrase for that churning feeling in your belly is "hunger pangs."

This mistake is so common, but it makes no sense when you think about it. Unless you’re referring to a stone sculpture that has a list of limits written on it, the phrase you mean to say is "statute of limitations." It’s a reference to a law that describes the limited timeframe in which legal measures can be taken.

The only instance in which you can correctly say you’re waiting on someone is if you’re working as a waiter at a restaurant or bar. Otherwise, if you’ve arranged to meet up with a friend or colleague and you’ve arrived first, you should say that you’re “waiting for someone.”

If you’re in the middle of an argument or debate with someone, you might say “case and point” as a way of illustrating an example of something. Actually, the correct (and similarly structured) phrase to use is "case in point." This phrase was originally a legal term referring to a process for judges to follow when deciding on outcomes for similar cases.

Saying you’ll “pour over” something could be correct if you’re referring to a recipe that includes beverages or other liquids. In any other case, you probably mean to say that you’ll “pore over” it. If you’re poring over something, it means that you’re carefully inspecting it – the word “pore”, in this context, means to study intensely or reflect upon.

If something's deep-seeded, that must mean it's deeply embedded…like a seed in soil, right? Well, that does make sense in a roundabout way, but it’s not entirely correct. The correct phrase is "deep-seated." This is used to mean something that’s firmly established or hidden below the surface.

It’s very common to hear people saying they did something “on accident,” but unfortunately this is wrong. The correct usage of the phrase is "by accident." We’ll let you off if you’re not a native speaker of English – it’s a particularly confusing one since the opposite of this phrase is correctly known as "on purpose" and not “by purpose!”

Getting revenge could, in theory, involve all sorts of extraction; however, it’s incorrect to say that you’re “extracting revenge.” The correct phrase, which you’re probably getting mixed up with, is to "exact revenge." To exact, in this instance, means to demand revenge from the person who wronged you.

If you think that a magician is using "slight of hand" to deceive you, that isn’t quite right. Though it sounds exactly the same, the correct phrase is spelled a little differently and has a different meaning – "sleight of hand." "Slight" can mean an insult or something small, whereas "sleight" describes a form of trickery.

We understand why people say “peak my interest” – it certainly does seem to make sense, in that your interest is heightened to a peak. However, you might be surprised to learn that the correct phrase is "pique my interest." The word “pique” originates from French, and means "to stimulate."

Lots of people get the word “specific” mixed up with “pacific.” What you mean to say, if you’re getting into the fine details, is that you’re being “specific.” The word “pacific” actually means to be peaceful or averse to conflict. You can also use it when referring to the Pacific Ocean.

If you're getting a cheeky glimpse at something before others do, you should say that you’re getting “a sneak peek,” not a “sneak peak.” We know that “peek” means to look at something for a short time, and “sneak” means to be furtive or stealthy. “Peak,” on the other hand, refers to the top of a mountain.

If you’ve been saying that you got off “Scott free” with something, unfortunately this is a mistake. Who is the mysterious Scott? Unless you're somewhere with no-one named Scott in it, the phrase you should use is "scot-free." This is a word that originates from 12th century England, meaning unpenalized or unharmed.

If you're trying to explain to someone that your statement was meant to be sarcastic and jokey (or dare we say cheeky), then you want to say that it was "tongue in cheek." Unfortunately, most people get it wrong and incorrectly say “tongue and cheek.”

With regard to this phrase, "in regards to" is grammatically incorrect. If you want to say, “in relation to” in a professional manner, the correct phrase to use is "with regard to." Note that it’s also preferable to say, “with regard to” and not “with regards to.”

Saying that you "use to" play guitar is wrong. The right thing to say is that you "used to" play guitar. “Used to,” in this context, means something that repeatedly happened in the past, hence where the phrase comes from. On the other hand, the word “use” is only correct when used as a present tense verb or noun.

Almost everyone says "chomping at the bit" when communicating how eager or keen they are to do something, but that doesn't mean it's correct. The real phrase is "champing at the bit." The word “champ” comes from a word used to describe when horses bite or chew restlessly.

If you're jiving with someone, that means that you're dancing together. If there’s no dancing involved, it’s wrong to say that you “jive with” them. If you mean to say that you’re getting along very well, the correct thing to say is that you're “jibing with” them. You could even say, similarly but more casually, that you’re “vibing with” them.

This is another one that often trips people up. If you’ve been using “irregardless” regularly in your work emails, we hate to break it to you. It isn’t actually a real word. The correct word to use is “regardless,” which means without regard. Saying “irregardless” would make this word a double negative, which doesn’t make sense.

The phrase you mean to say instead of “damp squid” is actually “damp squib.” We get the confusion – what the heck is a “squib?” Well, it’s actually a small explosive device that literally wouldn’t work if it got wet. That’s why “damp squib” is used to describe an event or performance that was a let-down when you were expecting it to be exciting.

We’re starting to wonder if people just like saying the word “butt!” This phrase is an incorrect use of the word. If you’re trying to put an end to something before it has a chance to begin, you want to “nip it in the bud,” as in before it has the chance to bloom or grow. On the other hand, nipping something in the butt means that you’re biting its behind.

This phrase makes no sense when you think about it. Why would you say “boo” to a ghost? They’re the ones who would say it, no? When you want to describe someone who is timid and nervous, the correct phrase to say is, “they wouldn’t say boo to a goose,” the implication being that the person is frightened of attack.

Finally, when someone says that they have "peace of mind," this means that they feel safe, secure and at peace. If you say you have “piece of mind,” on the other hand, this just makes no sense. Maybe people are getting mixed up with the phrase giving someone “a piece of their mind,” which actually means to tell someone off.