We all have weird things we say, we all use words or phrases wrong, and then there are the oxymorons that are tossed about.

Like: "I could care less" which should be "I could not care less"

Or “that begs the question” when they mean something else. “Begs the question” it a term of logic when there is a fallacy in the reasoning. What they should say is something like “brings up the question.”

“In 1400 people KNEW the world was flat” No they didn’t. No one ever Knew that. What they mean is “in 1400 many people believed the world was flat” (which is not even accurate but at least that could have been true.)

Similar to how people say “Pluto is no longer a planet” Now this one is iffy, as they seem to have changed the criteria for what they call a planet. But even then either it is or it is not a planet. But I let that one pass as more of a jab at how science is still in its infancy.

Or things like how people confuse (I see it in stores all the time) cents with dollars and will post the cost of a can of soup as being .25 Cents when they mean 25 cents or $0.25. I have actually tried to get 4 cans of said soup for a penny. I think I was about .10 seconds (see what I did there) from getting the cops called on me.

But what are really bad are the things like "there is no absolute truth.” Or "there is an exception to every rule" Nether has any place ever being said by anyone. Not only are they oxymorons but super oxymorons. They are more than an apparent or possible contradiction but are by their very nature self contradictory. They are in a class of their own.

Others?

"in israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miricles"

dvid ben-gurion

one of my favs is the ever popular

Irregardless!!! wtf??

cammi said:

one of my favs is the ever popular

Irregardless!!! wtf??

that's just moronic...

"city life, millions of people being lonely together"

henry david thoreau

BlackAdder7 said: when people say "nipped in the butt". like that would stop a person!! why would being nipped in the butt make any difference? nipped in the leg, perhaps but butt?? i've been nipped in the butt and it didn't even hurt! i LOVE it when my wife nips me down there so go ahead and nip me in the butt again!! i dare you!

darling, it's bud. nipped in the bud. i think it was a gardening term, originally

Saying someone has "quite a temper" always threw me. The more temper you have, the more control you'd have. At least that's the way it should be.

Every day, legions of people misuse the word “literally.”

First off, if there is not a ‘figurative’ way of saying something, then the word ‘literally’ is not needed when explaining oneself. “I literally wanted to throw my shoe at the TV.” “Wanting to throw a shoe at the TV” isn’t a figure of speech – it means exactly that! ‘Spend the night in the doghouse’ – that’s a figure of speech. So if someone says, “I literally spent the night in the doghouse,” if they didn’t spend the night in an actual house built and meant for a dog, they’re a liar.

Also, it bugs/confuses me when people say, “You have a temperature,” when they mean, “You have a fever.” Even corpses have temperatures!

jillybean said:

Every day, legions of people misuse the word “literally.”

First off, if there is not a ‘figurative’ way of saying something, then the word ‘literally’ is not needed when explaining oneself. “I literally wanted to throw my shoe at the TV.” “Wanting to throw a shoe at the TV” isn’t a figure of speech – it means exactly that! ‘Spend the night in the doghouse’ – that’s a figure of speech. So if someone says, “I literally spent the night in the doghouse,” if they didn’t spend the night in an actual house built and meant for a dog, they’re a liar.

Also, it bugs/confuses me when people say, “You have a temperature,” when they mean, “You have a fever.” Even corpses have temperatures!

The misuse of "literally" is a huge pet peeve of mine.

jillybean said:

related to "irregardless" I heard someone mention "heighth"

Why add letterses and syllableses?

Deadcake said:

jillybean said:

Every day, legions of people misuse the word “literally.”

First off, if there is not a ‘figurative’ way of saying something, then the word ‘literally’ is not needed when explaining oneself. “I literally wanted to throw my shoe at the TV.” “Wanting to throw a shoe at the TV” isn’t a figure of speech – it means exactly that! ‘Spend the night in the doghouse’ – that’s a figure of speech. So if someone says, “I literally spent the night in the doghouse,” if they didn’t spend the night in an actual house built and meant for a dog, they’re a liar.

Also, it bugs/confuses me when people say, “You have a temperature,” when they mean, “You have a fever.” Even corpses have temperatures!

I have blood pressure

My blood pressure is literally through the roof!

I get a little annoyed by things like "I took my dog's for a walk"

Took your dog's what for a walk?

NDRU said:

I get a little annoyed by things like "I took my dog's for a walk"

Took your dog's what for a walk?

Your posts always make me laugh!!

oriented? yes.

orientation? yes.

orientated? no.

XxAxX said:

oriented? yes.

orientation? yes.

orientated? no.

so...undisenorientated?

orientationalizing

pluto is a dog

I'm starvationing right now

Funnily, I really like this thread. You come across so many completely illogical words and phrases (especially on the internet) and I am the kind of person who is really picky and easily put off by weird and illogical words and phrases.

The "I could care less" is a very good example.

It often overlaps with grammar too, but the point is, grammar usually does imply some kind of logic. That's why I would also include the incorrect use of "their", "there" and "they're", and "then" and "than". This is not just about spelling, it's mainly about knowing what you're talking about, because every word's spelling is completely logical in this case.

Then again, we must accept that, with time, language changes, evolves and new words emerge. That's why the word "orientated" is really growing to become acceptable and a near synonym to the adjective "oriented". But I wouldn't call that example illogical like I would all those examples given in the OP's post!

"I would of told you!"

"free love is too exspensive"

bernadette devlin

an oxymoron is two opposin concepts

drawn together to make a cohiesive thought...

KingBAD said:

"no one goes there anymore--it's too crowded!"

XxAxX said:

BlackAdder7 said: when people say "nipped in the butt". like that would stop a person!! why would being nipped in the butt make any difference? nipped in the leg, perhaps but butt?? i've been nipped in the butt and it didn't even hurt! i LOVE it when my wife nips me down there so go ahead and nip me in the butt again!! i dare you!

darling, it's bud. nipped in the bud. i think it was a gardening term, originally

I know it's "bud", you know it's "bud", but I keep hearing more and more people who think it's "butt" and I want to smack them when they say it

NDRU said:

NDRU said:

"no one goes there anymore--it's too crowded!"

very, very good.

"he had nothing to say and he said it"

ambrose bierce

Oh terms used in marketing that are not what they seem:

"space age" so since October 4, 1957?

do it "in a fraction of the time" But 6/3 is a fraction too!

staycation just, bugs me.

vacation originated from the word vacate

there is no such word as staycate

cammi said:

one of my favs is the ever popular

Irregardless!!! wtf??

Irregardless originated in dialectal American speech in the early 20th century. Its fairly widespread use in speech called it to the attention of usage commentators as early as 1927. The most frequently repeated remark about it is that“there is no such word.” There is such a word, however. It is still used primarily in speech, although it can be found from time to time in edited prose. Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead.

http://www.merriam-webste...regardless