Problem words and phrases...

In response to one of my posts, larrymotuz asked:

"Now I don't know why but it comes to mind that 'grasping for straws' or 'grasping at straws' would be a nice, new subject matter for articles, Susan. ;>)"

I, too, goofed the other day when I used “at” instead of “for” or was it vice versa? 😵

Yes, idioms are fun things.  But a lot of people kinda get them mixed up, mix ‘n’ match 'em, etc.  Cases in point:

• Intensive purposes (sounds right, but it should be intents and purposes)
• Could care less (means you are not yet at the bottom of your caring capability. There’s still a ways to go!)
• Your versus you’re (speaks for itself… I think 😮)
• Accept versus except (will take X but won’t allow X)
• Affect versus effect (before versus after)
• Peak versus pique versus peek (there’s a triple hit!)
• Whet versus wet (your appetite)
• Muster versus mustard (also onions, please!)

Hey, there’s a million of ‘em.

Here’s a fun personal note that might give you a chuckle.  My husband, being a Dutchman, sometimes gets his idioms mixed up.  It’s hilarious (to me).  He once said “Sticks out like a soar throat” (he meant thumb of course.  But that visual made me crack up [a sore throat sticking out!]).  I once said “Sitting there like a bump on a log” and he said, “Where’d you get that one??”  LOLing.

He’s put me in my place too with Dutch sayings like, “You can’t pick feathers from a frog” (versus our “Can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip”).  There’s a Dutch saying, “wishing someone a lot of itches and short arms”…  Or, “ankle bracelet, spear and bare ass” when speaking of someone’s simplistic mentality.  Yeah, fun stuff.  I think laughter is what has made our marriage a lasting one.  When you can laugh together, your marriage/relationship is so much stronger.

Anyway, here’s today’s challenge:

What are some idioms/phrases/words people get mixed up?  Any come to mind?  Any personal stories behind them?

(by Primal “did I say that?” Soup and larrymotuz)