What misused word or phrase do you hear or read most often?
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We all have our pet peeves about language, and frequently the most grating ones are misused words or phrases. For example, the word literally is often used to indicate the intensity of the speaker’s statement, rather than literally meaning literally.
Harvard psychology professor Steven Pinker’s book The Sense of Style: The Thinking Person’s Guide to Writing in the 21st Century came out in paperback last month. In it, he highlights common usage mistakes, and Business Insider published 58 of them. Among them:
• Begs the question means assumes what it should be proving and does not mean raises the question.
Correct: “When I asked the dealer why I should pay more for the German car, he said I would be getting ‘German quality,’ but that just begs the question.”
• Refute means to prove to be false and does not mean to allege to be false, to try to refute. [Note: That is, it must be used only in factual cases.]
Correct: His work refuted the theory that the Earth was flat.
So this week, we’d like to ask you: What misused word or phrase do you hear or read most often? Misused legal terms as well as general grammar gaffes apply.
Answer in the comments.
Read the answers to last week’s question: Do you have certifications or advanced degrees besides your JD?
Featured answer:
Posted by El Capi-tan: “I have every U.S. Sailing Association certification there is (in theory, I could sail around the world and not die) as well as a U.S. Coast Guard 100 GT license. All paid for with proceeds from the practice of law. Still waiting for a call from some billionaire who wants to a hire a captain/attorney for his circumnavigation of the world. Until then, I will just continue to be a captain who moonlights as an attorney during the week.”
Do you have an idea for a future question of the week? If so, contact us.
