Kev's Eggcorns Course...

New research has revealed the 30 most commonly misused phrases in the UK.

Known as eggcorns, the bizarre phrases often carry entirely different – and often hilariously nonsensical – meanings.

“With a record 11 million people in the UK now suffering from some degree of hearing loss, if ignored it can not only lead to potentially embarrassing situations socially but also be incredibly isolating.”

Here are the 30 most commonly misused phrases, as outlined in the survey:

1. To be pacific (instead of to be specific)
2. An escape goat (instead of a scapegoat)
3. Damp squid (instead of damp squib)
4. Nipped it in the butt (instead of nipped in the bud)
5. On tender hooks (instead of on tenterhooks)
6. Cold slaw (instead of coleslaw)
7. A doggie-dog world (instead of dog-eat-dog world)
8. Circus-sized (instead of circumcised)
9. Lack toast and tolerant (instead of lactose intolerant)
10. Got off scotch free (instead of got off scot-free)
11. To all intensive purposes (instead of to all intents and purposes)
12. Boo to a ghost (instead of boo to a goose)
13. Card shark (instead of card sharp)
14. Butt naked (instead of buck naked)
15. Hunger pains (instead of hunger pangs)
16. Tongue and cheek (instead of tongue-in-cheek)
17. It’s a mute point (instead of moot point)
18. Pass mustard (instead of pass muster)
19. Just deserves (instead of just deserts)
20. Foe par (instead of faux pas)
21. Social leopard (instead of social leper)
22. Biting my time (instead of biding my time)
23. Curled up in the feeble position (instead of curled up in the foetal position)
24. Curve your enthusiasm (instead of curb your enthusiasm)
25. Heimlich remover (instead of Heimlich manoeuvre)
26. Ex-patriot (instead of expatriate)
27. Extract revenge (instead of exact revenge)
28. Self -depreciating (instead of self-deprecating)
29. As dust fell (instead of as dusk fell)
30. Last stitch effort (instead of last ditch effort)

The survey was conducted by Onepoll.com and also revealed that 25 per cent of participants have been left feeling embarrassed after using an eggcorn, no surprises there.

Meanwhile, 67 per cent said they often mishear phrases and the research claimed that on average, Brits say an eggcorn three times every month.

That’s a lot of damp squids curled up in the feeble position.

 

No mention of a "Red Balloon". Disappointing.

 

Unsure about that tenterhooks one.

I mean tenterhooks? WTF?

 

Committed Sue Side

 

All of the sudden.

 

Calling someone a dirty **** where stinking poove is correct.

 

Nearly 2 decades in casinos and never heard anyone called a card sharp.
Shark yes .#13

http://www.poker-vibe.com/poker/terms/shark/

 

tbf almost everyone does say card shark.

 

In the Bob Marley soing "Is This Love?", for years I misheard the line "with a roof rack over our head", and thought he was referring to a bunk-up in a Ford Cortina (the Mark V was very roomy).

 

That's stuck in my head now

 

@GroveRanger is in this video

 

Lack toast and tolerant

 

Bone app the teeth.

 

Damp squid is correct iirc

 

Yees are all ****s.

 

.

 

'**** UP COON'

Should be.......

'**** UP ******'

Edit: Forgot the dots after 'be'.

 

Sorry.

Meant to tweet this.

No offence taken.

 

No1 **** ^^^^

 

Mrs Malaplop