bertiedog Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 When I or my wife pronounce them, yes I can. Similarly, I can tell the difference between Wales and whales. The H makes a 'Hole lot of difference! Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1 Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 Just realised the thread title.... Shouldn't it be misquoted, not mis quoted??? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Emily Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 My wife used to use the expression "hold down the fort" instead of "hold the fort". I got fed up and asked her why her fort was full of helium and in danger of floating away and wouldn't half a house brick on a bit of string do the same job? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold BoD Posted October 30, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2016 'The love of money is the root of all evil' became 'money is the root of all evil'. And James Cagney never said 'You dirty rat' . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 'The proof is in the pudding' is one that really annoys me. The only proof that could be in the pudding, is that you have a pudding. The correct phrase is of course 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' which means that you discover (or prove) that it's a good or bad pudding when it's eaten. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 96701 Posted October 30, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 30, 2016 'The proof is in the pudding' is one that really annoys me. The only proof that could be in the pudding, is that you have a pudding. The correct phrase is of course 'the proof of the pudding is in the eating' which means that you discover (or prove) that it's a good or bad pudding when it's eaten. The proof of the padding is in the seating. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Kirkham Posted October 30, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 30, 2016 People very often say that someone did something "off their own back" (meaning that they did it on their own initiative). The original expression, derived from cricket, is of course "off ones own bat". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 30, 2016 Share Posted October 30, 2016 'The love of money is the root of all evil' became 'money is the root of all evil'. . Except Paul informed Timothy that "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted October 30, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 30, 2016 'The proof is in the pudding' is one that really annoys me... I misread that as 'the roof is in the pudding'! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dagworth Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2016 Many people these days seem to think that a thoroughfare is a throughfare Andi Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2016 Adam and joe used to do a segment called 'eggcorns' with mid heard quotes http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-top-ten-eggcorns-9685844.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2016 Maybe not a misquote, but still bloody annoying are the people who use of instead of have, as in would have, could have, might have etc etc. Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRman Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I always liked 'The Perishers' comic strips, where the writer Maurice Dodd came up with some very funny misquotes for the kids, like "Ipso fatso". My favourite was "With friends like you, who needs enemas?" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 31, 2016 I just read 'naval gazing' and it gave me a chuckle. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
34theletterbetweenB&D Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Then there's the contraction problem in: 'Pride goes [before destruction, and an haughty spirit] before a fall'. (Proverbs c16v18) Which gives us a useful discrimination in degrees of consequence between the proud (recent example, Saddam Hussein, destroyed) and the merely haughty (recent example, David Cameron, fell from office). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 I once described a colleague as "ingenuous" - which was taken as a compliment. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fat Controller Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 When I or my wife pronounce them, yes I can. Similarly, I can tell the difference between Wales and whales. 'How do you get to Wales in a Mini?' 'One in the front and one in the back' or 'Over the Severn Bridge' Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Mrs Malaprop would be proud. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 7) All that glitters is not gold (all that glisters is not gold) 7- Likewise, 'glisters' is an archaic form of 'glitters'; the original 'All that glisters is not gold' is from 'The Merchant of Venice', the word also occurs in the King James Bible.Many authors riff on such things like Shakespeare as you point out. Tolkien also uses this metaphor. All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king. When there are many commonly accepted forms, what constitutes "misuse"? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 It is very easy to mis-hear things, with song lyrics being particularly bad; I'm still wondering what Bob Dylan meant when he sang that 'Rosemary took a cabbage into town'.Mis-heard song lyrics is a whole other topic. I'm pretty sure we did one here in Wheeltappers. Famously of course "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" and "There's a bathroom on the right". Hendrix, Purple Haze, and CCR, Bad Moon Rising. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 They are probably thinking of "whet the appetite" ie to sharpen it.Not to be confused with "wet your whistle". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 Shouldn't it be misquoted, not mis quoted??? Then there's wrongly attributed quotes that are well known but have no verifiable basis. Like: "the ... traditions of the Royal Navy are nothing but rum, sødomy and the lash" as NOT said by Winston Churchill (though it is said he wished he had). There's a good list of such things here. One not on that page is a quote often misattributed to Sinclair Lewis: "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." "Failing to plan is planning to fail" is an interesting one since it is so beloved in business-speak. Many, many web sources cite Benjamin Franklin as saying "If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail." but it's not clear he did. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Storey Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 My cat often says "je suis faim" but everybody knows it should be "j'ai faim". The Almighty help us!!! or...Help Puss?? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian J. Posted October 31, 2016 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 31, 2016 Mis-heard song lyrics is a whole other topic. I'm pretty sure we did one here in Wheeltappers. Famously of course "'Scuse me while I kiss this guy" and "There's a bathroom on the right". Hendrix, Purple Haze, and CCR, Bad Moon Rising. From 'Bohemian Rhapsody': "...Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard me, for me, for me..." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted October 31, 2016 Share Posted October 31, 2016 From 'Bohemian Rhapsody': "...Beelzebub has a devil for a sideboard me, for me, for me..." ..spare him his life from his pork sausage tea... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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