For some people the greatest challenge to becoming a good writer is avoiding common, conversational phrases that have been warped over the years to the point that most people misuse them. Because every word must serve a specific purpose for the writer, misusing phrases can cause serious problems whether it be damaging his credibility or confusing the reader.
The same is true in speech. Take Rick Perry as an example. On January 7th Perry took part in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Debate and explained that he is in favor of maintaining a significant presence in Iraq because once American troops leave Iran will move in "literally at the speed of light."
"Literally" is one of the most often misused words these days, and it signals that a given fact is not the product of
exaggeration, but a true reflection of reality. In Perry's case, he seems to be suggesting that Mister Scott has been hard at work prepping the Starship Enterprise for a trip to Baghdad.
Regardless of your political stance, a simple mistake like this one serves to hurt his reputation, and perhaps even suggest he lacks the necessary intelligence to serve as President of the United States. All this because of one word.
To help you avoid any Perry-like mistake I've compiled a list of misused words and their corresponding correct uses (or replacements) as well as a few common phrases that communicate something very different than what is intended.
This is a troublesome because a "lot" is actually a unit of measure. It has, however, largely been accepted as meaning "a significant number," but it is important to remember that the correct spelling consists of two words: a lot.
"I looked at him for a minute, then said 'I think it's time to go.'" -
What this is supposed to mean is "I looked at him for a few seconds." Remember, words have specific meaning and something that may be seen as common in conversation may not translate correctly in to writing. Imagine someone staring at you a a full 60 seconds without saying a word. "I looked at him for a minute" takes on a whole new meaning.
"I knew there were a ton of topics we had to discuss" -
A ton is equivalent to 2000 pounds. This is a problem because it can be misleading ("I have a ton of apples here!"), but as in the case listed above, it just plain doesn't make sense that he had "a ton of topics to discuss" because a "topic" doesn't weigh anything.
Capacious vs. Capricious -
These are two words that are often confused, if not misused, because they look and sound very similarly. The first means "having great capacity to hold something," while the second means: "one who has a tendency of giving in to whims." As you can imagine, confusing these terms could cause problems.
"Lo! and behold" vs. "Low and behold"
This one is my personal favorite. People don't say "Lo!" much these days, which explains why many write "low" instead. But if you think about the meaning of this phrase (which I translate roughly as "Hey! Take a look at this!") the word "low" has no place at all. The word "Lo!" however is an exclamation used to draw attention to something, while "behold" means "take a look."
The Death Star is now ultimate power in the universe -
Much like "a ton," an incorrect definition of "ultimate" has been widely accepted. Most people (including the writers for Star Wars) use it describe something that is "the best" or "most powerful." However, the word actually means "the last" of something. For instance it would be correct to say "The 7th season of Gilmore Girls was the ultimate season" because there were only seven seasons produced.
I'm not really sure how these mistakes came in to being, but a great many people place an "s" at the end of both "toward" and "anyway."
I hope these suggestions help you become a more informed writer and speaker. What kind of misused words have you heard or read?
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