Good morning, friends.
I’ve been keeping a list of phrases that about half the English-speaking world seems to get wrong. I know there are a lot more than I’ve listed here, but these are the ones I see and hear most often. Because the mistakes are so prevalent, I thought I’d share them with you so that you can avoid them.
| Correct term | Incorrect term | Correct example | Reason |
| I couldn’t care less | I could care less | I couldn’t care less if you eat the last piece of pizza. | It doesn’t make sense to say you “could care less.” That means you actually care to start with. |
| Light bulb went on | Light bulb went off | Oh, I see what you mean! The light bulb just went on. | When you have an idea, the light bulb turns on. If it turns off while you’re thinking, you have a problem. |
| Flesh out | Flush out | You need to flesh out your argument. | To “flesh out” means to expand. Let’s not think too much about what “flush out” means. |
| Regardless | Irregardless | I will swim in the Pacific Ocean today, regardless of the frigid temperature. | You don’t need the prefix “ir” and the suffix “less.” They both serve to negate. |
| Should have
(could have, would have) |
Should of
(could of, would of) |
I should have told you I was going to stop by. | This mistake is made as a back formation of “should’ve.” It sounds like “should of” but is actually a contraction of “should have.” |
| Fewer than | Less than | Your tweet must be fewer than 140 characters. | People often use “less than” when they should use “fewer than.” Use “fewer” for things you can count (like 140 characters) and “less” for things you cannot count (like love). |
Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | Symitar®
8985 Balboa Ave. | San Diego, CA 92123 | Ph. 619.278.0432 | Ext: 765432
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