# Incorrectly used sayings and phrases (malapropisims and related)



## JJ1982

I think my friend  may have taken this from boards but it gave me a giggle!

"don't mis-underestimate  yourself"
the traffic was always "chop the  block"
"for all intensive  purposes"
'this place is like a pig  style'
Play it by year
"catch 20/20" situations...
I Feckin' toad a so.
that's a _pigment_ of your  imagination
Nip it in the _butt_
Sangwitch
fair juice'
mokatrol 
flustrated"
Vi-sa versa'
choke on some crips
I always sometimes go to mcdonalds once a  week.
Don't upset the apple *tart*
'We'll burn that bridge when we come to  it+
tilted windows
a packa a crip'
escape goat




Personally in my house we always ate sangwitches and changed the Tv with the mokatrol!!


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## delgirl

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Smokes and daggers


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## Sue Ellen

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Pass the book.


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## Lex Foutish

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

It's a phrase he's going through!


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## Lex Foutish

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Laxidaisical. (Not a saying or phrase but )


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## DrMoriarty

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Long term economic value?


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## Emiso

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

I heard the following 2 just yesterday in the same sentence

Delmonte (Diamante)

Sequence (Sequinned)


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## Henny Penny

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

pacific - specific ... i cringe every time i hear it!


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## Pique318

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



JJ1982 said:


> choke on some crips


The 'Bloods' might...


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## thedaras

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Irregardles! meaning regardless.ahhhhhhhhhhh
Telefoam...telephone
I eat meant to be ,I ate,  hate hate hate that one!!


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## Ciaraella

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

I've a friend who says 'sure it's six and a half dozen'


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## JJ1982

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



thedaras said:


> Irregardles! meaning regardless.ahhhhhhhhhhh
> *Telefoam...telephone*
> I eat meant to be ,I ate,  hate hate hate that one!!



Ha ha, have never heard this!! 

I worked with a woman once who did her sums on a carculator


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## mathepac

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



thedaras said:


> Irregardles! meaning regardless
> ...


Irregardless is now an adjective according to the Compact Oxford English Dictionary - http://www.askoxford.com/results/?v...gardless&branch=13842570&textsearchtype=exact

All the Oxford dons getting locked on stag and hen week-ends in Dublin has had an effect.


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## Purple

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

A guy I know used the phrase "Chewing the Cod". I feel like slapping him every time he does.


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## ney001

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

The mother in law frequently makes reference to bold children as impotent little brats! 

Have tried to explain that it's impudent but to no avail! 

A neighbour of mine looked up to the sky one time as she was talking and said 'Oh look there's a herring" (not a saying I know but I laughed my head off)


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Sounds *very* familiar ney. Creepy.


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## ney001

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Caveat said:


> Sounds *very* familiar ney. Creepy.



Mrs O'Brien is that you?


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Yes! - imagine posting about me on this site 

You impotent little brat.


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## Booter

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

"Supposably" is one that hurts my ears.


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## becky

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



JJ1982 said:


> I think my friend may have taken this from boards but it gave me a giggle!
> 
> fair juice
> 
> 
> choke on some crips
> 
> 
> We'll burn that bridge when we come to it
> 
> Personally in my house we always ate sangwitches and changed the Tv with the mokatrol!!


 
What should be used in the case of the 3 above.

We eat 'hang sangwighes' in our house and change the TV with the clicker (it doesn't actually click).


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Meaning what _should_ they be?


Fair *dues.*

Er..._crisps ?!_

& we'll *cross* that bridge...

Is this what you're talking about?


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## becky

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Caveat said:


> Meaning what _should_ they be?
> 
> 
> Fair *dues.*
> 
> Er..._crisps ?!_
> 
> & we'll *cross* that bridge...
> 
> Is this what you're talking about?


 
Yes.  Fair due could be Fair Play couldn't it?


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



becky said:


> Yes. Fair due could be Fair Play couldn't it?


 
Well it means the same, but 'play' wouldn't be confused with 'dues' but 'juice' could.


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## mathepac

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Caveat said:


> ...Fair *dues.*...


Fair deuce (tennis)?


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



mathepac said:


> Fair deuce (tennis)?


 
Hmmm ... well a quick google suggests deuce, dues and do's are all in evidence - with similar meaning/usage. 

But not 'juice' anyway.


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## Nedtastic

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

An all an anyways ??????? WTF


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## ney001

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Nedtastic said:


> An all an anyways ??????? WTF



Thought that was just Colin Farrell!  - how's it goin an all an anyways!


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## MandaC

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

A friend of mine uses bearify instead of verify.

Another woman kept going on about singing the national antrim.

Funny thing is I know they are going to say these words so it is very hard to keep a straight face when they are said.

From the first set, don't upset the apple tart - I think that was Bertie?

In anyways, used a lot in west Dublin.


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## Slash

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

"Irregardless" may be in the dictionary, but that doesn't make it right. (In fact, if you type the word in MSWord, the spellcheck will pick it up as an error).
"Normalcy" (a word used by President Obama yesterday) is also in some dictionaries, but the word he wanted is Normality.
It seems that if people use a certain word often enough, the various dictionaries fall over themselves to be the first to have that word included in their lexicon.

A pet hate of mine: "...should have went..." which should be "...should have gone..."


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Something that grates a bit for me, and I'm not saying it's wrong, is  'I've not' as opposed to 'I haven't'.

Seems to be predominantly an English thing.

Re normalcy/normality, I'm sorry but I would take any English usage that originates in the US with a lorry load of salt.

I mean, they say 'accommodations'.


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## TarfHead

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Slash said:


> "Irregardless" may be in the dictionary, but that doesn't make it right.


 
I still remember one teacher red-lining that word in something I wrote, and I've always believed it to be a non-word since then.



Slash said:


> A pet hate of mine: "...should have went..." which should be "...should have gone..."


 
This reminds me of a conversation I once had with someone who has studied these matters at a greater level of detail than I have. He is married to a cousin of mine who is from Donegal. He was raised in Carraroe (sp?) and is a native speaker, despite spending the first 3 years of his life in New York. Anyway, we were discussing some of the local peculiarities in sentence construction that he reckoned were a hangover from people of that area of Donegal learning English as a second language and retaining an approach to sentence construction that is more commonly found in Irish. I couldn't disagree with him as I don't speak Irish.

In this part of Donegal, they say things like '_See you that there'_ meaning _'Do you see that thing over there_', or '_Go you there and get you that plate_' instead of '_You go over there and get yourself a plate_'.

Not necessarily bad or lazy grammar, just that a tradition of language is coming from a different place than mine.


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## TarfHead

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Caveat said:


> Something that grates a bit for me, and I'm not saying it's wrong, is 'I've not' as opposed to 'I haven't'.


 
Something that grates a bit for *me*, is writing "I have'nt" as opposed to "I haven't".


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## Caveat

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



TarfHead said:


> In this part of Donegal, they say things like '_See you that there'_ meaning _'Do you see that thing over there_', or '_Go you there and get you that plate_' instead of '_You go over there and get yourself a plate_'.


 
My grandmother speaks the same way - but doesn't have a word of Irish and is from rural NI.  

I think it's as much a Northern part of the island construction in the same way that "ye" for "you" (plural) is a South/West thing.


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## MandaC

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Hate people saying or writing should of, could of or would of instead of have


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## liaconn

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

Grates with me when someone says 'will you borrow me' instead of 'will you lend me'.


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## becky

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



liaconn said:


> Grates with me when someone says 'will you borrow me' instead of 'will you lend me'.


 

Never heard that one.

'Use of it' instead of 'use to it' has always annoyed me.


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## mathepac

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Slash said:


> "Irregardless" may be in the dictionary, but that doesn't make it right. (In fact, if you type the word in MSWord, the spellcheck will pick it up as an error)...


and as we all know Micro$oft decides and imposes the rules as to how English is spoken outside of Redmond.


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## Crugers

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

On tenderhooks...
had a pumpture...
He learned me...


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## Bluebells

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



liaconn said:


> Grates with me when someone says 'will you borrow me' instead of 'will you lend me'.



Even worse is when they say " can I have a lend of "


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## ajapale

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*

"thats water _over_ the bridge"
"it was _chocolate block_ out there"
"his wife is a _psychotic_ nurse"
"Garret Fitzgerald was an _epidemic_ before he went into politics"

these were collected in the 80's and 90's by a former colleague of mine.

There is a spokesman for the HSE who constantly talks about a medical LABRATTY instead of Laboratory! Some one should tell him to refer to the place of work of medical scientists as simply "the lab".


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## Graham_07

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



ajapale said:


> There is a spokesman for the HSE who constantly talks about a medical LABRATTY instead of Laboratory! Some one should tell him to refer to the place of work of medical scientists as simply "the lab".


 
Maybe that guy had had a "lo-bottleme" ( as I overheard recently )


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## Lex Foutish

One that drives me mad is a phrase that's used by people up the midlands and the south east. It's *"Look it."* Charlie McCreevy used it a lot.

What are they trying to say when they use that phrase at the start of a sentence? "Look at it..............?"


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## Lex Foutish

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Graham_07 said:


> Maybe that guy had had a "lo-bottleme" ( as I overheard recently )


 
_"Slugs and snails are after me. DDT keeps me happy._
_Now I guess I'll have to tell em
That I got no cerebellum. _
_Gonna get my PhD. Im a teenage lobotomy!"_

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CW-D1Y2CVo


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## Lex Foutish

President Jimmy Carter couldn't pronounce the word "nuclear."

He always pronounced it "_new killer_."


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## Lex Foutish

On the northside of Cork City, some people, instead of saying "he has" say "_he have_."

Sounds awful!


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## mathepac

Lex Foutish said:


> ... instead of saying "he has" say "_he have_." ...


I always associated that one with Kerry, as in "He hov 23 All Ireland middles". "Oh he hov, hov he?"


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## Ancutza

My friend suggested that I take anti-hysterectomy tablets for my hayfever! How I laughed!!


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## Purple

"Tenderhooks" instead of the correct "Tenterhooks"


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## Graham_07

Lex Foutish said:


> One that drives me mad is a phrase that's used by people up the midlands and the south east. It's *"Look it."* Charlie McCreevy used it a lot.
> 
> What are they trying to say when they use that phrase at the start of a sentence? "Look at it..............?"


 

Jo on Fair City uses it all the time it drives me nuts, like.


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## Pique318

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



ajapale said:


> "his wife is a _psychotic_ nurse"


Maybe she was asked to take a paycut ?


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## Sue Ellen

Ancutza said:


> My friend suggested that I take anti-hysterectomy tablets for my hayfever! How I laughed!!



Can't stop laughing (best medicine ever) but glass of wine has helped


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## Complainer

me granny is in hopsital with ammonia


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## Sue Ellen

Complainer said:


> me granny is in hopsital with ammonia



Be careful if you go visiting you might catch it too


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## New Home

'It's' instead of 'its', and 'its' spelt like 'it's', 'theirs' instead of 'there's', 'your' instead of 'you're', and so on. 'Can not' instead of 'cannot'. All those plurals spelt with an 'apostrophe s' (plural's), and the Saxon genitives spelt like plurals ('childrens books', 'mens shoes', etc) - and some of these on the main newspapers! AAAARRRRGHHH!!! 

(Ok, time for my tablets...)


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## Complainer

C'mere and I'll learn ya your spellings.


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## AlastairSC

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



becky said:


> Never heard that one.
> 
> 'Use of it' instead of 'use to it' has always annoyed me.



You don't mean "used to it", by any chance?


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## Thirsty

It's not *Look it*.... it's _Ah looka here now...._


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## ajapale

Is funny but you go years without hearing a good malapropism and then today I heard two! (both relating to Kerry)

The first was on the news at 1:00 on RTE when Dr. Martin Mansergh, T.D., Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works stated that Skellig Micheal is designated a world heritage _web_ site.


The second was on Radio Kerry when welcoming home the Kerry team Weeshie Fogarty stated that manager Jack O'Connor would go down in the _annuals_ of Kerry football. Mind you it is a kind of annual event in Kerry!


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## Sue Ellen

I hate the use of the word done instead of did.  IMHO mainly Dubs and it used to be children but so many adults are using it now also.   It sounds absolutely dreadful.


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## mathepac

ajapale said:


> ... Mind you it is a kind of annual event in Kerry!


All right, all right - there's no need to rub it in.


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## Sue Ellen

mathepac said:


> All right, all right - there's no need to rub it in.



Yeah, he sure is gloating.


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## nlgbbbblth

The use of 'revert' in business correspondence.

It does not mean respond or reply. Yet many people think it does. 

Hypercorrection also bothers me. People saying "Please return the form to Dave or I" instead of "Please return to form to Dave or me"


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## Booter

A favourite of radio sports reporters seems to be "formal-ya one"; which reminds me of Homer Simpson declaring "its pronounced nuc-u-lar"


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## batty

Friend's garnny told me her husband was in hospital as he had a bad attack of vagina


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## Purple

batty said:


> Friend's garnny told me her husband was in hospital as he had a bad attack of vagina



That can happen...


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## Sue Ellen

batty said:


> Friend's garnny told me her husband was in hospital as he had a bad attack of vagina



Nearly as funny as the woman who told me she loved that Anus, Anus perfume when she meant Anais, Anais


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## DrMoriarty

Sounds a bit like our Labrador.



New Home said:


> 'It's' instead of 'its', and 'its' spelt like 'it's', 'theirs' instead of 'there's', 'your' instead of 'you're', and so on. 'Can not' instead of 'cannot'. All those plurals spelt with an 'apostrophe s' (plural's), and the Saxon genitives spelt like plurals ('childrens books', 'mens shoes', etc) - and some of these *on* the main newspapers! AAAARRRRGHHH!!!


New Home, I have spotted your deliberate error and I claim my £10...


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## mathepac

The Times of London / The London Times / The English Times - there are no such newspapers, despite RTE talking heads trying to convince me otherwise.

The London Independent / The English Independent - El Presidente Field-Marshall The Honourable Dr. Sir A.J.F. O'Reilly Esq. has no such newspaper in the media stable

Irish sporting journalists and commentators please take note of the following - 


The English FA doesn't exist - the organisation responsible for the administration and organisation of the game of Association Football in England is the "Football Association" - http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/WhoWeAre.aspx
 The English RFU doesn't exist - the organisation responsible for Rugby Football in England is the "Rugby Football Union" -


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## Purple

mathepac said:


> El Presidente Field-Marshall The Honourable Dr. Sir A.J.F. O'Reilly Esq.


 That made me laugh out loud.


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## Seagull

Taking the mickey on how Idi Amin used to address himself.


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## TarfHead

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



ajapale said:


> There is a spokesman for the HSE who constantly talks about a medical LABRATTY instead of Laboratory!


 
The interim/designated head of NAMA refers to monetary amounts in _millins_ and _billins _


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## Caveat

mathepac said:


> The Times of London / The London Times / The English Times - there are no such newspapers, despite RTE talking heads trying to convince me otherwise.
> 
> The London Independent / The English Independent...


 

Fair enough, but surely only referred to as such to distinguish between our 'own' _Times_ and _Independent_ though?


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## mathepac

If someone says "The Times" I know the newspaper they mean, I don't need some condescending media oik engaging in unnecessary and inaccurate qualification and nomenclature re-assignment to compensate for their false assumptions about my differentiation skills.


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## Pique318

mathepac said:


> If someone says "The Times" I know the newspaper they mean, I don't need some condescending media oik engaging in unnecessary and inaccurate qualification and nomenclature re-assignment to compensate for their false assumptions about my differentiation skills.




ooooh, get you! 
Just who's the condescending one, I wonder ?


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## mathepac

Yorky said:


> 'Irish Time' rather than GMT. I have yet to hear anyone within the media or the general public to refer to the local time correctly


GMT remains the same all year round.  Irish Time and British Summer Time are GMT+1 in "summer time" and revert to GMT for "winter time".

HTH.


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## Welfarite

1. Chimley

2. 'American English' spelling, as in using 'z' instead of 's'; I blame the Word spellcheck for this creeping invasion! 

3. Ally wheels.


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## Madangan

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



TarfHead said:


> The interim/designated head of NAMA refers to monetary amounts in _millins_ and _billins _


 

I dont care how he pronounces them so long as he can count them!!

Anyway,Tarfhead, I have no doubt that your own accent(whatever it is) is beyond reproach...but I love the fact that people speak with different regional accents and millins and billins make me smile!


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## MandaC

What about people who suffer from Ulsters?  Always raises a smile.


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## AlastairSC

In relation to "i_n relation to_" I think there's considerable misuse. You hear stuff such as "The Government will look at the issues _in relation to_ pay cuts...." (of) or "_In relation to_ pay cuts the Government's position is clear...." (about). 

"In relation to" implies a connection or ratio or comparison between/among things - too often it's used as a synonym for "about" "of" or "regarding")


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## michaelm

I periodically and deliberately use the phrase 'we'll burn that bridge when we cross it'.


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## Complainer

'She has the patience of Joe'


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## bren1916

Solfadine


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## Pique318

Palestine instead of Philistine


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## Caveat

bren1916 said:


> Solfadine


 
 _Always_ hearing this.


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## mathepac

Sarcrifice

Chicargo

Blessintowan (Blessington) although this may be West Wickla thing, Charley Boorman & Co


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## Firefly

Yersterday


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## Hoagy

When ordering food...

"Can I get" rather than " May I have"


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## Welfarite

Pique318 said:


> Palestine instead of Philistine


 

This reminds of a word I heard yeaars ago; 'Lebanonic'; meaning 'brutal'.  ('Beruit-al', gettit?!)


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## mathepac

Welfarite said:


> ...   ('Beruit-al', gettit?!) ...


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## woodbine

"one foul swoop" instead of one _fell _swoop.

"Gooky"    Gucci


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## Purple

"he claimed" rather than "he said"


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## Flexible

Heard people call Windscreens - Windowscreens or maybe I,m wrong.


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## demoivre

Perscription .............prescription
Excetera..................et cetera
Expresso..................espresso
Affidavid..................affidavit


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## Booter

Vis -A-versa


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## Pique318

Flexible said:


> Heard people call Windscreens - Windowscreens or maybe I,m wrong.



Or pronouncing them wind-screens (wind as in wind a watch).


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## AgathaC

I saw a great one used on a discussion board recently, someone described their situation as 'between a rock and a hearth place..'


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## Bluebells

" In regard to....."
 Azoo & Azero
 Fillum
 Thee ater
 Bertday


There are posters around Castlebar advertising a forthcoming performance of " Tom Crean, Antartic Explorer "


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## JJ1982

salmonella


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## Caveat

Pique318 said:


> Or pronouncing them wind-screens (wind as in wind a watch).


 
Seriously?!

Who are these nutters?


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## mathepac

Caveat said:


> ... Who are these nutters?


Poets with current licences?


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## mathepac

"I had an aperitif to wet my appetite."

"I edge my chisels on a wet-stone."

"The Grim Reaper sharpens his scythe with a side-board." (  from Ikea? )


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## baldyman27

JJ1982 said:


> salmonella


 
Ah, that's a completely different kettle of fish.



mathepac said:


> I always associated that one with Kerry, as in "He hov 23 All Ireland middles". "Oh he hov, hov he?"


 
Yeah, west Cork and Kerry. Also, back around Coolea and such places the older generation still say 'fwhat, fwhy, fwhere and fwhen' Its dying out though, unfortunately.

A friend of mine told me of a phone conversation he had with an acquaintance from Kerry a few years back;

Friend (from Cork): 'Are you coming out for a pint?'
Kerryman: 'I don't know, lid. I'm still in the flit'
F: 'Sorry, where are you?'
K: 'The flit, lid.'
F: 'Sorry, say that again.'
K: 'This post will be deleted if not edited immediately, lid, the flit, where I live. The ipirtmint'
F: 'Oh right, you're in your flat. Well, let me know if you're coming out'

I thought it was hilarious, made even funnier by the fact that the Kerryman's name is Matt. He has since been known as 'Mitt the flit.'

The one that gets me is 'try and' as in, I'm going to try and get the car started.' Surely it should be 'try to'?


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## Complainer

Just give me a ballpoint estimate for that job.


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## BillK

Baldyman, they even use "try and" on the TV news here in England.
Drives me even more crackers.


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## mathepac

BillK said:


> Baldyman, they even use "try and" on the TV news here in England...


But sure lads, try and understand where they're coming from, with names like Olivia O'Leary, Craig Doyle, Dermot Murhnaghan, Michael McIntyre, Paddy Considine, Diarmuid Gavin, Rory McGrath, Tommy Walsh, Lisa ... (Weatherbird Sky), Terry Wogan, Charley Boorman and so on on the English telly ye're luck that's all that's fecken' affected. Can't ye try and be grateful for wonce...


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## Chocks away

*Re: Incorrectly used sayings and phrases*



Pique318 said:


> The 'Bloods' might...


And the KKK. The _Klu Klux Klan _
A neighbour puts out our _rubbidge _each bin day. I guess a mix of rubbish and garbage.


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## z107

The problem with reading threads like this is you forget how to speak! I always used to know how to pronounce chasm. (It's Kaz-am, isn't?)


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## Pique318

Bluebells said:


> There are posters around Castlebar advertising a forthcoming performance of " Tom Crean, Antartic Explorer "


They're  expecting a bit much!!


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## Yorrick

To continue BALDYMAN27 s contribution it is common in that country to pronounce V as W

e.g. he drank a lot of wodka and later he was out the back womiting


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## baldyman27

Yorrick said:


> To continue BALDYMAN27 s contribution it is common in that country to pronounce V as W
> 
> e.g. he drank a lot of wodka and later he was out the back womiting


 
Correct! Forgot about that one! They are the anti-Germans. I used to deliver straw to an old farmer in Coolea in my heyday (get it?!) and the cup of tea after the unloading was a hilarious experience. A recommendation for anyone who would like to hear examples of this dying breed is to go to the International Sheep-Shearing Trials (I kid you not) at the Top of Coom each summer.


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## baldyman27

umop3p!sdn said:


> The problem with reading threads like this is you forget how to speak! I always used to know how to pronounce chasm. (It's Kaz-am, isn't?)


 
The problem with reading threads like this is that one becomes paranoically pedantic about one's own spelling, etc. (Bet I spellled something incorrectly there)



Bluebells said:


> There are posters around Castlebar advertising a forthcoming performance of " Tom Crean, *Antartic* Explorer "


 
That would be a pivoting lorry full of termites, quite common in the South Pole.


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## homebird

"could of" (he could of done it if he tried) 

I know it's pronunciation but...
"Chapelizard (Chapelizod in West Dublin)


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## Brianne

The phrase that drives me insane is " she fell pregnant" . I remember a time when to say that was considered awful or "common" or " gutty". I've heard it on serious tv and seen it written in newspapers lately. What's wrong with " she became pregnant' . To me it conjures up images I can do without!! And there is an implication that is just happened like getting measles or something!!


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## Purple

What gets me is when a couple say “we are pregnant”. I’ve four kids and to the best of my recollection my wife gave birth to all of them. My involvement was some time earlier. When men carry a baby for 9 months and then give birth they will be pregnant, ‘till then the mother will be.


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## Caveat

Two classic Dub ones:

She had a baby _for_ him (very good of her)

and

Sorry _over_ that (Instead of _about_ - it just sounds bizarre to me)


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## TarfHead

I've some across 2 seperate references today to the term used for seeking to control someone - _to reign him in._

I've always assumed it should be spelled _to rein him in_, as in a horse's reins ?

Am I mistaken ?


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## Caveat

TarfHead said:


> Am I mistaken ?


 
IMO no, not in this case.



> seperate


 
...but you *are* in this one.


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## TarfHead

Caveat said:


> .. but you *are* in this one.


 


OK, but ..

My 'trusty' desk dictionary lists '_seperate_' as meaning both '_to divide_' (transitive verb), and '_distinct_' (adjective). So if I'm mistaken on *that* one, then I'm not alone .

In which case I'll resort to my default defence that there is nothing wrong with my spelling; it's my typing that's at fault .

PS having a desk dictionary - that a sign of age  !


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## Seagull

TarfHead said:


> OK, but ..
> 
> My 'trusty' desk dictionary lists '_seperate_' as meaning both '_to divide_' (transitive verb), and '_distinct_' (adjective). So if I'm mistaken on *that* one, then I'm not alone .


 
Does it have sep*e*rate or sep*a*rate. I'd hope the latter. It may be your spelling that was being picked up on, rather than your usage, which was fine.


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## TarfHead

*Cheap at half the price*

Surely this should be _dear at half the price_, or _cheap at twice the price_ ?


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## baldyman27

TarfHead said:


> *Cheap at half the price*
> 
> Surely this should be _dear at half the price_, or _cheap at twice the price_ ?


 
Surely if it would be cheap at twice the price, it would certainly be cheap at half the price, in fact it would be 75% cheaper than the price it was cheap at when twice the price, non?


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## mathepac

"mis-underestimated" - Simon Cowell X-Factor 10/10/2009


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## circle

mathepac said:


> "mis-underestimated" - Simon Cowell X-Factor 10/10/2009


 
That's one of Bush's: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7809160.stm


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## Caveat

mathepac said:


> "mis-underestimated" - Simon Cowell X-Factor 10/10/2009


 
WHAAAAT? Mathepac watching the X Factor??


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## Brendan Burgess

nlgbbbblth said:


> The use of 'revert' in business correspondence.
> 
> It does not mean respond or reply. Yet many people think it does.



I had heard this used and had never thought it wrong. I assumed that it was one of those formal business letter words.  I hope I haven't used it. 

It seems to be a peculiarly Irish misuse.

http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic26117.html


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## Caveat

Brendan said:


> I had heard this used and had never thought it wrong. I assumed that it was one of those formal business letter words. I hope I haven't used it.
> 
> It seems to be a peculiarly Irish misuse.
> 
> http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic26117.html


 
Hi Brendan

I use it. 

Although, revert can mean to go back to the original state/condition, period or *subject.*

So in the sense of subject, in terms of business correspondence, I would argue that it is acceptable. E.g. "Please revert with your feedback" 

What is definitely unacceptable in my view (and tautological) is to say 'revert _back_' - it's like saying 'well renowned'

Maybe we should give the grammar guru himself Dr Moriarty the last word on this.


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## mathepac

Caveat said:


> WHAAAAT? Mathepac watching the X Factor??


  em, eh, visitors wanted to watch it while I was readying the din-dins, sorry to disappoint. In order to make up for my gross misconduct, when they bought the [whispers]  mail on sunday  next morning I didn't allow them to read it with the rashers and saussies.


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## PMU

May and able

  You might call me a pedant on this one, but Dublin City Council has illuminated signs in Dame St. saying that cars “can not” use the bus gate at College Green between certain times.  

In fact, while they might be breaking the law, they can use it if they are able to, as ‘can’ is the present tense of the verb ‘to be able to’. ‘Can not’ implies there is some problem with the car, i.e. that the car is not able to be driven, which prevents it going through College Green.    

What DCC are probably trying to say is that cars ‘may not’ use the bus gate at certain times (as they do not have permission to do so).


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## Caveat

PMU said:


> May and able
> 
> You might call me a pedant on this one...


 
Not so much pedantic as 'not with it' 

_Can,_ for permission, has largely been accepted as legitimate usage these days.  Most contemporary grammar texts have relented on this one.


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## Gordanus

A Bertie-ism I was told about- talking about some company (?) he said "they have their testicles everywhere"


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## Seagull

Gordanus said:


> A Bertie-ism I was told about- talking about some company (?) he said "they have their testicles everywhere"


 
Maybe someone told him they were screwing all their opposition.


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## TarfHead

Gordanus said:


> A Bertie-ism I was told about- talking about some company (?) he said "they have their testicles everywhere"


 
That was in an interview published in the Irish Times some weeks back. He was referring to Lehman Brothers.


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## PMU

nlgbbbblth said:


> The use of 'revert' in business correspondence.
> 
> It does not mean respond or reply. Yet many people think it does.


  I got an e-mail yesterday from a colleague that ended: “…and hope to revert to you as soon as possible”.  

  A quick look at Dictionary.com or the Oxford dictionary gives four meanings for ‘revert’, which are broadly concerned with a change back to a previous state, and none are on the lines of  ‘I’ll reply’ or ‘I’ll come back’. 

  So *nlgbbbblth *is correct’; “revert” as commonly used in business correspondence (at least in Ireland) is incorrect.


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## levelpar

> A pet hate of mine: "...should have went..." which should be "...should have gone..."


 
Is not "went" the past tense of "go" ?


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## levelpar

"





> Please revert with your feedback"


 
"Revert" does not sound right to me. Surely" reply" is better?  Also, revert means going back to something rather than just seeking a reply?


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## Slash

levelpar said:


> Is not "went" the past tense of "go" ?



Yeah, watch carefully.

I go today.
I went yesterday.
I should have gone the day before.
I could have gone on Tuesday. (Definitely not "I could of gone", which is a hanging offence).



Got it? Now, repeat after me................


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## Caveat

levelpar said:


> "
> 
> "Revert" does not sound right to me. Surely" reply" is better? Also, revert means going back to something rather than just seeking a reply?


 
Yes, but can mean going back to a _subject_ - see post #129 above.


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## levelpar

> I go today.
> I went yesterday.
> I should have gone the day before.
> I could have gone on Tuesday. (Definitely not "I could of gone", which is a hanging offence).


 
Fair Jews, oops, dues, you caught me there


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## mathepac

Slash said:


> ... I should have gone the day before.
> I could have gone on Tuesday. ...


I take it then the following colloquialisms are definitely non-U -


 I shudda goin' the day before.
 I should of went the day before tha' again.
 I could of goin' on Tuesday.
 I cudda went of a Tuesday.


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## baldyman27

mathepac said:


> I cudda went *of a Tuesday*.


 

'An acquaintance died of a Thursday last month.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind my asking what he died of?'

'Shur didn't I tell you, he died of a Thursday.' 

That's a joke, BTW.


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## mathepac

'An acquaintance died of a Thursday last month.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind my asking what he died of?'

'I'm not shure but I believe 'twas somethin' fairly serious.' 

That's another joke.

'An acquaintance died of a Thursday last month.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind my asking what he died of?'

'I'm not shure.' 

'That's a terror. There's people dyin' now that never died before' 

That's yet another joke.


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## Crugers

Anyone know of any good bombfires tonight?


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## baldyman27

mathepac said:


> 'An acquaintance died of a Thursday last month.'
> 
> 'Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind my asking what he died of?'
> 
> 'I'm not shure but I believe 'twas somethin' fairly serious.'
> 
> That's another joke.
> 
> 'An acquaintance died of a Thursday last month.'
> 
> 'Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind my asking what he died of?'
> 
> 'I'm not shure.'
> 
> 'That's a terror. There's people dyin' now that never died before'
> 
> That's yet another joke.


 
You just have to admire the old country folk.


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## Complainer

Does this post count?


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## Determined

On a dating website recently a female had stated on her profile .....
"Don't contact me if ur only intrested in sex as I prefer to get to know someones fist"


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