A Dozen Mistakes Even We Smart People Make

You might have some of these language goofs on your list of pet peeves. They are common, and anyone can make one of these mistakes! Even you and me!

1. These homophones are each used in a different idiom: 

• 

  I am going to give her a piece of my mind!
• Meditating gives me peace of mind.

Make sure you spell piece/peace right.

2.  If you are going to research something before you sign the contract, you are doing due diligence, not do diligence.

3. The correct saying is first-come, first-served. If you say first-come, first-serve, you might be implying that the first to come will be the one serving everyone.

4. I love those sleight of hand card tricks magicians do. It is not slight of hand, which could mean the magician has small hands. A slight is also an insult.

5. Unthaw is an odd word. Why would anyone even use it? It is used as a synonym for thaw because unthaw actually means to freeze. Just use freeze unless you mean thaw. Some dictionaries say unthaw is a real word.

6. The correct phrase is shoo-in, not shoe-in: for example, he is a shoo-in for the job.  Unless it is some weird kind of job.

7.  Prostrate means lying on the ground or the floor. Prostate, without the second r, is the gland. Don’t mix them up!

8. Apostrophes are used in contractions and possessives. PERIOD. This is Jane’s ball. I can’t go with you. Apostrophes are not used in plurals, even in something like  the 1980s. Or ABCs. Only use one in a plural that would be confusing: I got all A’s. Not all As.

9. I need a new hot water heater.  Is it heating hot water? Or cold water? The hot is redundant. You can just call it a a water heater.

10. The drone is homing in now. It isn’t honing in. To hone is to sharpen a skill. 

11. It is the first-year anniversary of our meeting. It is probably enough to say it is the first anniversary of our meeting. Or the fiftieth anniversary of our wedding.  Unless, of course, you are also celebrating day and month anniversaries in additional to years.

12. I have always said all of the sudden. Then I heard it was actually all of a sudden. I think either one is acceptable. But all the sudden is not. All of them probably mean suddenly, so just use suddenly if that is what you mean.