20 Silly Grammar Mistakes That Even Smart People Make

When you hear someone using grammar
incorrectly, do you make an assumption
about his or her intelligence or education?
There’s no doubt that words are powerful
things that can leave a lasting impression
on those with whom you interact.
In fact, saying an idiom incorrectly or
screwing up your grammar is akin to
walking into a meeting with messy hair.
That’s according to Byron Reese CEO of the
venture-backed Internet startup
Knowingly, which recently launched
Correctica, a tool that scans websites
looking for errors that spell checkers miss.
And the business world is no exception.
“When I look for these errors on LinkedIn
profiles they’re all over the place — tens of
thousands,” he says.
Correctica recently scanned a handful of
prominent websites and you might be
surprised at how many errors it found.
Here’s Reese’s list of the some of the most
commonly misused words on the web.
1. Prostrate cancer
It’s an easy misspelling to make, just add
an extra “r” and prostate cancer becomes
“prostrate” cancer which would translate
to “cancer of lying face down on the
ground.” Both the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) and the
Mayo Clinic websites include this
misspelling.
2. First-come, first-serve
This would suggest that the first person to
arrive has to serve all of the others. The
actual phrase is “first-come, first-served”
to indicate that the participants will be
served in the order in which they arrived.
Both Harvard and Yale got this one wrong.
3. Sneak peak
A “peak” is a mountain top. A “peek” is a
quick look. The correct expression is
“sneak peek” which would mean to have a
secret or early look at something. This
error appeared on Oxford University’s site
as well as the National Park Service
website.
4. Deep-seeded
This should actually be “deep-seated” to
indicate that it is firmly established.
Though “deep-seeded” could theoretically
make sense, indicating something is
planted deep in the ground, this is not the
correct expression. Correctica found this
error on the Washington Post as well as
the White House site.
5. Extract revenge
To extract something is to remove it, like a
tooth. The correct expression is “exact
revenge” which means to demand revenge.
The New York Times as well as the BBC
made this error.
6. I could care less
“I couldn’t care less” is what you would
say in order to express maximum apathy
toward a situation. Basically you’re saying,
“It’s impossible for me to care less about
this because I have no more cares to give.
I’ve run out of cares.” Using the incorrect
expression “I could care less” indicates “I
still have a few cares left to give, would
you like some?”
7. Shoe-in
“Shoo-in” is a common idiom which means
a sure winner. To “shoo” something is to
urge it in a direction. As you would “shoo”
a fly out of your house, you could also
“shoo” someone toward victory. The
expression started in the early 20th
century, relating to horse racing and
broadened to politics soon after.
It’s easy to see why the “shoe-in” version is
so common, perhaps derived from the
door-to-door sales practice of moving a
foot into the doorway to make it more
difficult for a prospective client to close the
door. But “foot in the door” is an entirely
different idiom.
8. Emigrated to
With this one there is no debate. The verb
“emigrate” is always used with the
preposition “from,” whereas immigrate is
always used with the preposition “to.” To
emigrate is to come from somewhere, and
to immigrate is to go to somewhere.
“Jimmy emigrated from Ireland to the
United States” means the same thing as
“Jimmy immigrated to the United States
from Ireland.” It’s just a matter of what
you’re emphasizing — the coming or the
going.
9. Slight of hand
“Sleight of hand” is a common phrase in
the world of magic and illusion, because
“sleight” means the use of dexterity or
cunning, usually to deceive. On the other
hand, the noun “slight” means an insult.
10. Honed in
First, it’s important to note that this
particular expression is hotly debated.
Many references now consider “hone in”
an alteration of “home in.” That said, it is
still generally accepted that “home in” is
the more correct phrase. To home in on
something means to move toward a goal,
such as “The missile homed in on its
target.”
To “hone” means to sharpen. You would
say, “I honed my resume writing skills.”
But you would likely not say, “The missile
honed in on its target.” When followed by
the preposition “in,” the word “hone” just
doesn’t make sense.
11. Baited breath
The term “bated” is an adjective meaning
suspense. It originated from the verb
“abate,” meaning to stop or lessen.
Therefore, “to wait with bated breath”
essentially means to hold your breath with
anticipation. The verb “bait,” on the other
hand, means to taunt, often to taunt a
predator with its prey.
A fisherman baits his line in hopes of a big
catch. Considering the meaning of the two
words, it’s clear which is correct, but the
word “bated” is mostly obsolete today,
leading to the ever-increasing misuse of
this expression.
12. Piece of mind
This should be “peace” of mind, meaning
calmness and tranquility. The expression
“piece of mind,” actually would suggest
doling out sections of brain.
13. Wet your appetite
This expression is more often used
incorrectly than it is used correctly — 56%
of the time it appears online, it’s wrong.
The correct idiom is “whet your appetite.”
Whet means to sharpen or stimulate, so to
whet your appetite would mean to awaken
your desire for something.
14. For all intensive purposes
The correct phrase should be “for all
intents and purposes.” It originates from
English law in the 1500s that stated “to all
intents, constructions and purposes,”
which basically means “officially” or
“effectively.”
15. One in the same
One in the same would literally translate
that the “one” is inside of the same thing as
itself, which makes no sense at all. The
proper phrase is “one and the same,”
meaning the same thing or the same
person. For example, “When Melissa was
homeschooled, her teacher and her mother
were one and the same.”
16. Make due
When something is due, it is owed. To
make due would mean to make owed, but
the phrase to “make do” is short for “to
make something do well” or “to make
something sufficient.” When life gives you
lemons, you make do and make lemonade!
17. By in large
The phrase “by and large” was first used
in 1706 to mean “in general.” It was a
nautical phrase derived from sailing terms
“by” and “large.” While it doesn’t have a
literal meaning that makes sense, “by and
large” is the correct version of this phrase.
18. Do diligence
While it may be easy to surmise that “do
diligence” translates to doing something
diligently, it does not. “Due diligence” is a
business and legal term that means you
will investigate a person or business before
signing a contract with them, or before
formally engaging in a business deal
together. You should do your due diligence
and investigate business deals fully before
committing to them.
19. Peaked my interest
To “pique” means to arouse, so the correct
phrase here should be “piqued my
interest,” meaning that your interest was
awoken. To say that something “peaked my
interest” would mean that it looked at my
interest.
20. Case and point
The correct phrase in this case is “case in
point” which derives its meaning from a
dialect of Old French. While it may not
make any logical sense today, it is a fixed
idiom.