I recently read an article about five English phrases that even native speakers get wrong. I love articles like this because they give us the opportunity to learn without the embarrassment of being called out in person for our mistakes. Yes, I am speaking from personal experience.
When I was in college, speaking to an English professor about one of my term papers, I pointed out a section of my paper that still needed to be “flushed out.” Without the slightest smirk or condescension, my professor informed me that I meant to say, “fleshed out” and explained that I wanted to bulk it up by adding information; I did not want to flush it down the toilet. Lesson learned. I never made that mistake again, and I’m very aware now when I hear others make the same mistake. But I also learned not to judge. Sometimes, we just get it wrong.
The phrase “flesh out” is not one of the five phrases mentioned in the article I read. It’s a bonus for you. I’m giving you six for the price of five! Here are the 5 English Phrases Even Native Speakers Get Wrong:
| Correct Phrase | Incorrect Phrase | Explanation |
| Free rein | Free reign | To give someone free rein is to give that person significant leeway to act as he or she pleases. |
| Beck and call | Beckon call | To be at someone’s beck and call is to be readily available at a moment’s notice. |
| Bear with me | Bare with me | If you ask someone to bear with you, you are asking for patience from that person. |
| All of a sudden | All of the sudden | This phrase is a popular English idiom, and it functions as an adverb, similar to the word suddenly. |
| Make do | Make due | To make something do is to manage with limited or inadequate means. |
Donna Bradley Burcher | Senior Technical Editor | Symitar®
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