Comments on: Exchanging Looks.

by: KY

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 02:51:40 +0000

Oh, I thought of another one–it’s actually my sister’s. She thought “inclement weather” was actually “increment weather”–ie, it’s getting worse, bit by bit.

by: Sam

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 00:32:04 +0000

Mine’s got a Canadian link - I used to play “maple leaf” as a kid, rather than “make believe.” Took me a while to figure out what dress-up and fun games had to do with trees…

by: Jessi

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 19:03:58 +0000

Well, this one always confounded me — mostly because I was saying it incorrectly for a good 25 years — “for all intents and purposes.” I thought it was “for all intensive purposes.”

I saw it written (correctly) in an article I was reading, and being the a-hole that I tend to be sometimes, I started making fun of the person and their stupidity. M. wondered what was so funny…and that was the beginning of what will no doubt be lifelong humiliation. I have NEVER heard the end of it and I’m sure I never will.

by: atomic mama

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:39:49 +0000

When I was little my mom always told me to “mind my P’s and Q’s.” I always knew exactly what she meant (be polite!), and I always just assumed it was a derivation of “please” and thank you” whereby “P’s and Q’s” = “please and thank you’s.” It made perfect sense to me!

But apparently there are several competing origins for the phrase - such as literally reminding children to write their lowercase “p’s” and “q’s” properly, since they look similar, or keeping track of the number of pints and quarts one had consumed at a pub…

by: wzgirl

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:21:10 +0000

How about the one “touch base”? I really like the expression - it makes sense to me. Sometimes, however, I see it being misinterpreted…misused, I suppose. Maybe this is a different confound”ment” than you were asking about, SBird - one that I experience from others vs. a blip in language that I experience independently. Anyway - I get confounded, I suppose, when others say to me…”let’s touch basis/bases” later about the situation” or “I’ll touch bases/basis with Tucker later this week”. Maybe it isn’t as much confounding as just niggling.

Give me some time - I will think of more.

by: KY

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 03:13:41 +0000

“Her eyes flew around the room.” Just picture it.

I love these. I can’t wait to hear what other people mention.

by: Carolyn

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:07:38 +0000

I was a voracious Nancy Drew reader also- (also read the Hardy Boys and The Bobbsey Twins)- and yesterday, we took the kids to Chapters and told them to pick out a new book or 2 for bedtime. Guess what my 9 year old returned with? Yep- Nancy Drew! I thought that was cool- and she came up with it on her own. I might just have to re-read that whole series!

by: Jenni

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:38:36 +0000

When I was younger and to this day the phrase “already” as in “enough already” or “are you coming already” drives me crazy. But now that I have read it so often, it must have been imprinted in my brain because I find myself using the phrase even though I detest it.

by: Aimee

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:19:44 +0000

When I was little and heard the phrase “knight in shining armor”, I always thought “NIGHT in shining armor”. I also don’t think I knew what armor was. So I pictured some guy was like night time and was shining like the moon. It didn’t make any sense, but that was the best I could do being a clueless kid!