Misused Words

[Guest Dabeagle]

We've all seen them - 'loose' used for 'lose'. This list, by no means comprehensive, is a nice place to start.

See it here.

[Paul]

For some reason this one really irritates me: incidents / incidences.

[DesDownunder]

Can we extend this to misused words? Here are some examples I have noticed from stories (none of which were on AwesomeDude:

The context in which the words were used rendered even the correctly spelt words, incorrect. (Aussie rules apply).

since instead of sense

consarned instead of concerned

quite, quiet and quit, often confused

he's instead of his

devulge instead of divulge

excepting instead of accepting

'was sat' instead of was sitting.

she'd instead of shed

of, instead of, have

are instead of our

witch instead of which

do process instead of due process, or perhaps if it is cold they meant, dew process

are used instead of our

[Guest Dabeagle]

I'm with you, Des, until you had the 'she'd instead of shed'. Help me here, because 'she'd' is a contraction - replacing 'she had' or I suppose 'she did'. If I saw 'shed' I'd think of that little building out back where I keep the rakes.

[Mihangel]

But care is needed. Dabeagle's list is American, and in British English some rules are different (I can't speak for Aussie rules).

I'd agree with 10 of the 12. But in modern British English the example it gives, afterward he walked toward the coffee shop, is simply wrong. We say afterwards he walked towards the coffee shop.

And farther v further (BTW, there's another difference - vs in American, v in British). Very few people these days retain the distinction. Virtually always it's further, for both purposes. And wholly acceptable even in formal writing.

[Cole Parker]

Don't forget passed vs. past, it's vs. its, compliment vs. complement, wont vs. want. We could all go on with this adding our favorites.

C

[DesDownunder]

I'm with you, Des, until you had the 'she'd instead of shed'. Help me here, because 'she'd' is a contraction - replacing 'she had' or I suppose 'she did'. If I saw 'shed' I'd think of that little building out back where I keep the rakes.

Yes, I know, the she'd contraction, when the author was obviously referring to a building, really threw me when I read it. I read it several times before I added it to my list just to be sure it really was wrong.

[Guest Dabeagle]

I get it now.

[The Pecman]

And farther v further (BTW, there's another difference - vs in American, v in British).

My partner (the one with the law degree) often points out to me that in American law, when it's "Joe Smith vs. the Ford Motor Company," they do abbreviate vs. as "v" in the legal papers.

[Merkin]

There may be, as the list indicates, a correct way to use 'for all intents and purposes' but it still irritates the hell out of me when I hear (or see) it.